No funding or contracts for companies who use exploitative trial shifts
There is no justification for exploitative trial shifts, say the Scottish Greens, who have called for the Scottish Government to ban businesses who make use of unpaid trial shifts from receiving public grants and contracts.
As a result of the Bute House Agreement between the Scottish Greens and the Scottish Government, any business awarded a public sector contract in Scotland must now pay its staff at least the real Living Wage. This conditionality will be extended to any business in receipt of public sector grants from July 2023, as well as a requirement to offer robust mechanisms for worker representation.
In a question asked today in the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish Greens finance spokesperson, Ross Greer MSP, called for the conditions to be extended to include a ban on companies which exploit workers by using unpaid ‘trial shifts’.
In response, Richard Lochhead, Minister for Small Business Trade and Innovation, confirmed the Scottish Government’s opposition to the use of unpaid trial shifts and agreed to ask government officials to look into what action could be taken.
Speaking afterwards Ross Greer said:
“We are in the worst cost of living crisis for decades. Far too many people have been plunged into poverty due to outrageously poor wages and conditions. At the same time, many companies are reporting record profits.
“Unpaid trial shifts are part of that picture of inequality. The companies who use them are taking advantage of vulnerable people. These unpaid shifts are often for low paid or minimum wage jobs and the people applying cannot afford to be exploited in this way.
“I am proud to have worked with the Scottish Government to ensure that all companies who received grants or contracts must pay at least the real Living Wage. This is a vital change that will have a big and positive impact on low paid workers. It is an important step, but we must now go further.
“Given the Scottish Government's robust opposition to the injustice of unpaid trial shifts, it is time to adopt a new Fair Work policy which bans companies who engage in this kind of exploitation from accessing public sector grants and contracts in Scotland.”
The question and supplementary from Ross Greer MSP are below.
Q: To ask the Scottish Government if it will disqualify businesses who make use of unpaid trial shifts from receiving public grants and procurement contracts?
Supp: I welcome the Minister’s opposition to unpaid trial shifts and am proud to have worked with the Scottish Government on the fair work section of the Bute House Agreement which delivered that real living wage conditionality.
Employment law may be reserved to Westminster - for now - and our options here are limited, but that living wage conditionality for grants and contracts demonstrates that we can go a bit further.
Given the Scottish Government's robust opposition to the injustice of unpaid trial shifts, can I ask the CabSec/Minister if the government will consider adding a new Fair Work condition which would ban companies who engage in this kind of exploitation from accessing public sector grants and contracts in Scotland?