Anas Sarwar says United Wholesale Scotland staff have received a “significant increase” in pay. in their salary Authors: Watty Cheung -4223678de837.html?direct=true&id=bc72b371-0215-4d99-b27b-4223678de837&template=articleRendererHTML' class='tmg-particle Sticky-nav wrp-bc72b371-0215-4d99-b27b-4223678de837' title= “General Election” data business-type='editorial' loading='eager' scroll='no' Frameborder='0'allow='web-share' style='width: 100%; min-width: 100%; border: none; position: relative; display: block; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;'>
The Scottish Labor leader was forced to admit that not all staff at his family's multimillion-dollar company are paid a «real living wage», despite Sir Keir Starmer's pledge to introduce a minimum benchmark.
Anas Sarwar said United Wholesale Scotland staff (UWS) experienced a «significant increase» in their pay packages, but not all employees received the current «real living wage».
He said the cash-and-carry approach to the business, which was started by his father, Mohammad Sarwar, a former Labor MP, would have followed Sir Keir's proposals.
But the Tories and the Scottish National Party (SNP) ) accused him of “hypocrisy”, pointing to his admission that the UWS had not voluntarily introduced the pay rise.
Labour wants to introduce a real living wage as part of its “New Deal for workers”. This will take into account the cost of living and will be higher than the current minimum wage in the country.
The hourly rate offered by the Living Wage Foundation is £12 in the UK and £13.15 in London — 56p more. than the current minimum wage in the country. The Labor Party has not yet determined how much it will set.
Not involved in running the firm
Mr Sarwar is not personally involved in the day-to-day running of the family business and has given up all shares to the Scot. The 2017 Labor leadership contest, which he lost to Richard Leonard, a close ally of Jeremy Corbyn.
But after putting his shares into a trust for his three children that year, he said he received assurances from the company that it «wants to move to a real living wage for all employees.»
He was subject to came under even more pressure on the issue last year when it was revealed that the company was advertising forklift operators working a minimum of 45 hours a week.
The position paid £10.58 per hour, below the Scottish living wage, which was then estimated at £10.90, and just 16p per hour above the minimum wage.
Wife Mr Sarwar and his children's trust fund will continue to benefit from the profits of the company, which is considered one of the largest in Scotland. In 2021, pre-tax profit was £4.9 million and turnover was £274.6 million.
Asked whether UWS was now paying its staff a real living wage, Mr Sarwar told BBC Scotland's Sunday show: «Well, they have a really good strong relationship with the USDAW union.»
He added: » They will have to do what everyone else is doing, which is to comply with a new agreement for workers that will provide a true living wage, and they have a union recognition agreement with USDAW and a very strong relationship with USDAW.
“This it's not my business. I have no shares in this business. Yes, this is a business in which my family is involved, but I have no direct connection with it.”
'It won't cost jobs'
Asked if he knew whether all staff were paid a living wage, or if he knew they weren't, Mr Sarwar admitted: 'Well, I don't believe that Every employee receives a real living wage.”
He denies that Labour's «new deal for working people», which also includes a ban on zero-hours contracts, will lead to job losses as businesses struggle to secure higher wages.
>“It won't cost jobs. When we look at the 1997 election, the panic was that we were going to create hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country,” Mr Sarwar added.
But Craig Hoy, chairman of the Scottish Conservative Party, said: «It was Anas Sarwar's interview in a car accident as he was forced to admit that his family business was not in line with the leading policies of his own party.»
“The Scottish Labor leader has been left in a humiliating position. position, arguing that his family firm will be legally forced to pay a real living wage if his party wins the election because it refuses to do so voluntarily.
“This leaves Anas Sarwar open to accusations of hypocrisy. Moreover, the dispute over how much employees are paid arose more than six months ago and has not yet been resolved.”
Stephen Flynn, leader of the Scottish National Party at Westminster, said: “Anas Sarwar is not even the change that the workers in his family’s firm need – let alone in Scotland. This scandal of Labor Party hypocrisy shows why voting the SNP is vital to protecting workers' rights and putting Scotland first.»
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