Perth and Kinross Council’s lowest paid employees could be set to get an early Christmas present in the form of a wage rise.
This week councillors will be asked to vote on introducing the real living wage increase early.
Labour councillor Brian Leishman says it would be a “small but meaningful gesture” as many families face a tough Christmas this year.
Dozens of employees would benefit
In September 2022 the Living Wage Foundation announced an increase in the real living wage to £10.90 per hour.
PKC – as an accredited living wage employer – would ordinarily pass on the new rate from April 1, 2023 when it comes into effect.
On Wednesday Labour councillors Brian Leishman and Alasdair Bailey will ask their fellow elected members to agree to introduce the new rate early and backdate it from October 1, 2022.
Cllr Leishman and Bailie Bailey have calculated it will cost PKC around £2,500 and benefit about 58 employees.
Funding from underspend
Their motion will go before all 40 councillors as they meet for the last time this year on Wednesday, December 21.
It states that the costs would be funded from the projected underspend in staff cost budgets across council services that was reported to the finance and resources committee on November 30, 2022.
“Around 58 members of staff will benefit from this change. This position will be kept under review in future years.”
Perth City North councillor Brian Leishman told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he hopes his fellow elected members will support the move.
He said: “These folk have worked so hard through the year and deserve this rate to be paid earlier than later.”
