WITH less than 50 days until Christmas, it won’t be long before Edinburgh’s streets are filled with tourists and shoppers once more. Residents are well versed in the advantages this brings to our “Festival City”, with the financial boost to the local economy that comes with the extra footfall.
But what about the staff who work for these businesses? Do the workers at the Christmas Market reap the rewards for their hard graft and unsociable working hours? Some shops extend their Christmas opening hours until as late as midnight, with no financial incentive for the staff who have to work extra hard at the busiest time of the year in retail.
It’s time to introduce a £10-an-hour living wage for all workers over the age of 16. The Scottish Socialist Party campaigns on this very issue every week on Princes Street, while taking in massive profits over the festive period! The very people who pack and wrap our Christmas presents may be struggling to afford to buy their own. A fair wage should be for life, not just for Christmas!
Natalie Reid
Co-spokesperson, Scottish Socialist Party
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