CALLS to give Holyrood control over the minimum wage should receive cross-party backing, Nicola Sturgeon has said.
The First Minister-elect called on opposition parties at the Scottish Parliament to support calls made by a range of charities in submissions to the Smith Commission.
Ms Sturgeon was speaking ahead of an SNP rally in Inverness last night.
She claimed devolution of the minimum wage would help Holyrood tackle inequality, but came under fire from Labour over her party's record on social justice.
In a letter yesterday, Shadow Scottish Secretary Margaret Curran challenged her to back five key Labour policies, including the party's pledge to restore the 50p income tax rate for top earners.
The Smith Commission, which is considering further powers for Holyrood, has heard calls to devolve the minimum wage from charities including Engender, Poverty Alliance, Children 1st and the Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations.
Ms Sturgeon said: "Scotland badly needs more powers over employability and welfare to ensure that we are better equipped to tackle inequality, and undo the damage of Westminster's unfair cuts that hit the poorest hardest.
"As Scotland's party of social democracy, we have already demonstrated that where we have the power, we act to make a difference - we are the first Scottish Government ever to pay the living wage to all employees covered by our pay policy.
"With power to set and enforce our own minimum wage, we could go further and lift thousands more out of poverty by committing to raise it at least in line with inflation.
"Respected and expert organisations across the country are calling for these powers to be devolved to help tackle poverty. The people of Scotland expect Westminster to deliver the extensive new powers promised in the vow that was made in the run-up to the referendum. Power to set and enforce our own minimum wage should be among them."
Labour introduced the minimum wage in 1999. The party has not recommended it be devolved to Holyrood.
Ms Curran hit back at Ms Sturgeon's claim the SNP was "Scotland's party of social democracy".
She called on the incoming First Minister to support Labour plans for a 50p top tax rate, a tax on bankers' bonuses and a ban on zero-hours contracts. She also challenged Mr Sturgeon to support a freeze on energy prices and increase of the minimum wage to £8 by 2020.
In her letter, Ms Curran said: "These are policies that command popular support across Scotland and will go a long way to alleviating the cost-of-living crisis and ensure that people with the broadest shoulders bear the burden of the recovery.
"I wanted to give you the opportunity to state clearly which of Scottish Labour's policies you will add your support to and if you cannot support them, why not?"
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