Labour to help 140,000 low-paid women workers in Scotland, Angela Rayner says

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner has pledged 140,000 low-paid women workers in Scotland will be better off thanks to the party’s plans to tackle the “scourge” of insecure work.

With Labour promising improved employment rights for workers if it wins next week’s General Election, Ms Rayner is to campaign in Scotland on Friday, higlighting how the plans would help female workers.

The party proposes to end the use of zero-hours contracts, and to ban firms from firing workers and then rehiring them on less favourable terms and conditions.

Meanwhile, plans for a “genuine living wage” will benefit 140,000 low-paid women workers, the party said.

Ms Rayner, who will be joined by Scottish leader Anas Sarwar for Friday’s campiagn visit, called on voters to back Labour to “get rid of this disastrous Tory government”.

She said: “when the Tories crashed the economy, it was women who were left to pick up the pieces”.

The UK Labour deputy leader stated: “From mums juggling work and childcare to those working as cleaners, carers and others in predominantly female, low-paid jobs, women in Scotland have been failed by two incompetent governments.

“This cannot go on – Labour will tackle the scourge of insecure work ensuring 140,000 of the lowest paid female workers in Scotland benefit from a genuine living wage that will for the first time take into account the cost of living.”

Mr Sarwar said: “For too long women across Scotland have been forced to pay the price for political failure – from Tory economic vandalism to SNP incompetence.

“Labour’s transformative New Deal For Working People will tackle low pay and insecure work, delivering a genuine living wage and ending exploitative zero-hours contracts. 

“We cannot afford another five years of Tory chaos – we need to make sure we take this opportunity to elect a Labour government with women’s interests at its heart.”