Glasgow City Council increases 'living wage' for staff

Glasgow City Council is to increase its minimum "living wage" rate by 5p to 拢7.20 an hour from April next year.

The authority was the first in Scotland to launch the policy in 2009, at a rate of 拢7 per hour, in a bid to support those in low paid work.

Since then, more than 150 employers in and around Glasgow, with a total of 50,000 staff, have joined the scheme.

Council leader Gordon Matheson said the policy had "made a real difference to the lives of thousands of people".

It is thought that there are up to 80,000 people in Glasgow - most of them women - earning less than the council's current living wage rate.