Public Procurement and Property

Pushing forward Fair Work First through procurement

May 31, 2022 by Niamh Duncan No Comments | Category Fair Work, Procurement news, Sustainable Procurement

Procurement professionals recognise their responsibility of pushing forward the Fair Work agenda. Tackling issues such as in-work poverty and the current cost of living crisis helps create an inclusive and fair economy.

We have added a new chapter to our statutory guidance focussing on Fair Work First requirements in procurement.

This exciting update follows our October 2021 announcement where we committed to mandating payment of the real Living Wage to all workers delivering our contracts. It also reflects the extension of Fair Work First criteria to include:

• offer flexible and family friendly working practices and
• to oppose the use of fire and rehire practice

The new chapter aligns with recommendations made by the Fair Work Convention Construction Inquiry. This aims to strengthen the connections between different facets of sustainable procurement.

The publication of the statutory guidance shows how we are using all possible levers to drive Fair Work First through public funding, aligning with commitments made between the Scottish Government and the Green Party.

Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise Ivan McKee said:

“As we face this cost of living crisis, Fair Work and the real Living Wage have never been more important for the workers of Scotland.”

“This updated guidance builds on the commitments we made last year and helps the public sector to lead the way in creating a fair and inclusive economy!”

Sources of information and support

View new model fair work Invitation to Tender (ITT) questions, including a question on the real Living Wage on the Sustainable Procurement Tools platform. The earlier version of the model question has been removed from SPPN 6/2021.

Fair Work First Guidance provides detailed explanations of what each of the seven Fair Work First criteria mean in practice.

The Supplier Development Programme (SDP) provides free support in tendering to Scottish-based SMEs, supported businesses and third sector organisations through free training and events.

For further information on public procurement in Scotland please visit www.gov.scot/procurement

Please email enquiries to scottishprocurement@gov.scot

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Tags: Fair Work, Scottish Procurement, Supplier Development Programme, sustainable procurement

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