LABOUR leader Anas Sarwar has defended his family’s firm for not paying the living wage, despite promises to transition to better salaries four years ago.

He also claimed that Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) politicians are asked about the behaviour of their family members when "no other politicians" are.

The Herald asked Mr Sarwar if he still wanted to make the living wage mandatory for all firms, as he claimed in 2017 during the Labour leadership contest, and if so how could he expect firms to do this when his own family’s company, United Wholesale (Scotland) Limited, was still not paying some employees the real living wage of £9.50 per hour.

The cash and carry company based in Glasgow was set up by Mr Sarwar’s father. As recently as last year, warehouse packers were being recruited to work 45 hours per week, being paid between £351-£369. That equates to an hourly salary of between £7.80 and £8.20.

In response, Mr Sarwar said: “I think a question has to be asked back and I deliberately robustly want to challenge this.

“Why is it that politicians, and particularly BAME politicians are asked about family, the - inverted coma -  'family'.  No other politician gets asked about what their brothers or sisters or anyone else is doing.”

On his views on improving wages for workers, he explained: “I chose not to go and work in a family business and I went and became an NHS dentist.

“I've always been committed to public service. That's why I went from an NHS dentist to being an elected politician, to fight for the values that I grew up with, the values that I believe in.

“As far as that individual company is concerned, I know they have a trade union recognition agreement with the trade union USDAW.

“ I know USDAW and the company has a very good relationship, and they're working together to ensure there is fairness for all staff and protection for all staff.

“Alongside that, what I'd say is, we do need to look at sectoral bargaining, which is a key trade union principle, we can make sure that we're pushing sectors towards doing the right thing.

“Recognising the challenges in individual sectors but also recognising the need for a sectoral based approach in terms of getting a fair pay and fair conditions for all workers.” 

In 2017, Mr Sarwar was challenged about the same issue and said the firm did not pay everyone the real living wage of £8.45 an hour because it was "voluntary".

He said at the time that he had received assurances from the company that it "wants to transition to a real living wage for all employees".

Shortly afterwards he relinquished his minority shares in the company, worth a reported £4.8m, and put them in a trust.

He signed the discretionary trust deed allowing his three children, and not him, to benefit from the funds when they are adults.