Glasgow's Living Wages

No doubt you will have heard our Dear Leader of Glasgow City Council trumpet (stick one up at Gordon Brown, Iain Gray and all their cronies) his decision to unilaterally raise the minimum wage for 681 workers to £7 an hour. A welcome move which will only cost £1.2 million, yes, that's right only £1.2 million. A bargain in any Council budget.

How will this be paid for? Does it apply to employees under 21? Why was it not identified in the Council Budget when it was set on 12 February? Why was it not passed by the Executive Committee on Friday? Of course, Cllr Purcell wasn't at the Executive Committee on Friday. All that rehearsing in front of the mirror has paid off though.

So, will the 47 social workers who were paid £500,000 in overtime last year have this curtailed to pay for the increase in minimum wage for those at the bottom of the pay league? I hope so. Will it derail Iain Gray's fightback against the SNP? Most definitely.