PEOPLE in Inverclyde will not be fooled by the small rise in the minimum wage announced by the chancellor this week to take effect in October, which falls far short of the £7 minimum wage he promised over a year ago.

Under this chancellor we’ve seen the value of the minimum wage eroded, and working people’s living standards in Inverclyde have fallen. Hard working families here are on average £1,600 a year worse off under this chancellor.

I am regularly told on the doorstep that people here are struggling to make ends meet as the cost of living crisis bites. They need a pay rise, and fairness in contracts.

Without doubt Labour has set a more ambitious target for the minimum wage, which would see it rise to £8 per hour, bringing it closer to average earnings. And we will act to make sure the National Minimum Wage is properly enforced, unlike the government which has failed to get to grips with non-payment and named and shamed only a handful of companies who have avoided paying it.

Labour will take action to help make work pay for the people of Inverclyde and across the country, with an economic plan that works for all, not just a few at the top.

Increasing the minimum wage to £8 an hour would instantly benefit over six thousand people here in Inverclyde. But we would go further, encouraging more employers to pay a living wage by establishing ‘Make Work Pay’ contracts, giving a tax rebate to companies that sign up to become living wage employers and getting rid of exploitative zero hours contracts.

We could eliminate youth unemployment here in Inverclyde, through our Compulsory Jobs Guarantee which provides a job for every young person unemployed for over a year. Through our own council we have already seen an apprenticeship commitment written into contracts; Labour would require every firm getting a government contract to take on apprentices.

We need to create more than jobs; we need to create longevity in employment through careers built upon high skills and high pay.