SCOTTISH Labour leader Anas Sarwar has argued his party will tackle the “scourge” of low pay as young workers demand “real action” on age wage discrimination.

Labour’s new Employment Bill “will look to” ban exploitative zero-hour contracts, end fire and rehire, strengthen sick pay, and alleviate in-work poverty, which has ballooned by a staggering 48 per cent under the Tories from 290,000 in 2009-12, to 430,000 in 2020-23. 

Mr Sarwar claimed progress had already been made towards meeting the pledge to scrap age discrimination against 18-20 year-olds after Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Employment Secretary Jonanthan Reynolds instructed the low pay commission to begin harmonising the rates.

He said: “Labour’s transformative plans represent the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation – they will fundamentally reset our economy and make it work for working people.

“By ending the scourge of insecure work and low pay, we can address poverty at its root.

“These game-changing plans will tackle spiralling levels of in-work poverty and deliver a pay rise for up to 200,000 of the lowest paid workers in Scotland.”

But STUC youth committee chairman Josh Morris argued that outright scrapping of age wage discrimination must be central to tackling in-work poverty.

He said: “A promise made during a campaign is hollow unless it is backed up by real action when in power.

“Our STUC Youth Conference backed calls for an end to the wage discrimination inflicted on young workers. 

“Young people suffer at the cutting edge of precarious work, employment and unscrupulous working conditions.

“They must take action now to scrap youth rates of pay and ensure all young workers are entitled to a real living wage that affords us the dignity and respect we are due.”