MAKING THE CASE FOR LIVING WAGE

For too long economic development in Wales focused on maximising our potential as a ‘low wage economy’ this short sighted strategy was never going to work in a globalised world where manufacturing and assembly work could be easily completed in the developing world. The two weeks from Monday 24^th March onwards are ‘Fair Pay Fortnight’ and Plaid has rightly repeated the call for the implementation of a living wage to lift thousands people out of poverty. The economic weakness of our economy has been highlighted by TUC research which shows the expanding pay gap between Wales and London. New research from the TUC shows that between 2000 and 2013, the pay gap between the top 10% of earners in London and the bottom 10% in Wales rose by 9.8%. Our economy has periodically struggled because of a combination of poor decision, poverty of ambition and ill-thought out public procurement policies none of which has helped when it comes to sustainable economic development. Plaid Cymru’s priority rightly focuses on rebooting and redeveloping the Welsh economy, part of this can be achieved by transforming Wales from a low-wage economy to a higher wage economy by developing high-skilled, well-paid jobs.