Lowest paid Scottish Parliament staff to see wage increase to £15 per hour

The PCS union said it has secured a ‘landmark’ deal for staff including security officers and tour guides.

(Jane Barlow/PA) (PA Archive)

Entry-level staff at the Scottish Parliament such as security guards and tour guides are to receive a £6,000 pay increase.

The Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) has secured a “landmark” £15 per hour minimum wage for the lowest-paid workers employed by the Parliament.

It heralds a “significant victory” for the union which has long campaigned for a £15 minimum wage.

Last week, thousands of civil servants across Scotland, including Scottish Parliament workers, took strike action over a 2% pay offer.

Around 1,000 workers are set to go on strike at passport offices in Glasgow, Durham, Belfast, Liverpool, London, Newport, Peterborough and Southport between April 3 and May 6.

Staff at the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will also walk out across Scotland as part of a series of rolling regional strikes on April 17 and 18.

The PCS union launched a fresh ballot to renew the strike mandate on Monday.

Ruby Gibson, the PCS industrial officer for Scotland, said: “A £15 minimum wage is a key element of the PCS pay claim. During this cost-of-living crisis, workers everywhere are struggling to survive, and this is felt most acutely by the lowest paid.

“In implementing a £15 minimum wage, the Scottish Parliament is at the forefront of this progressive move and employers everywhere should follow suit and pay a wage that provides a decent standard of living.”