INCREASING the National Living Wage for workers in East Renfrewshire will benefit everyone, according to Labour candidate Carolann Davidson.

She has also promised a majority Labour government at Westminster would abolish zero-hour contracts.

The current National Living Wage is £8.21 per hour but party leader Jeremy Corbyn has pledged to raise it to £10 per hour by the end of 2020.

 

Ms Davidson, who is currently a councillor in neighbouring Renfrewshire, told the Barrhead News: “People who are working deserve a decent wage.

“We need to go with Labour’s policy to introduce a living wage of £10 per hour.

“At Renfrewshire Council, we work with partners and we insist they have to pay the living wage.

“But it has to go up.”

Ms Davidson also hit out at the Tories over the increased use of zero-hour contracts, describing them as “abominable.”

She said: “With Universal Credit, you can work five hours one week and 20 the next week. Then, when you go to make a claim to get a top-up, they will say ‘how can you not manage on 20 hours a week?’

“The current system is not working.

“Zero-hour contracts affect everybody and they are all over the place.”

Ms Davidson also believes problems with public transport is one of the issues that matter to East Renfrewshire residents at this election.

She would like to see an overhaul of the current system, claiming that privatisation hasn’t worked.

READ MORE: Labour bid to regain former stronghold East Renfrewshire

“Public transport should be public and not run by private companies for profit,” said Ms Davidson. “I don’t drive, so I know first-hand how badly people are affected.

“If they can do it in Edinburgh, then why can’t other places do it?”