Fife boss champions Living Wage

A Fife businessman is hoping his small revolution will gather pace and see more of his peers paying their staff the Living Wage.

Derek Cowan started Get It Done Cleaning Services six years ago as a one-man-band, when the collapse of Northern Rock left him without work. It wasn’t easy going – Derek sourced his cleaning materials from Poundland and had to use the vacuum cleaner from his home. He also spent a time living on beans and toast, so tight was his cash flow. Now, with a string of awards behind his Kirkcaldy-based company, he employs 30 staff. And, from the beginning of this year he started a three-month initiative to put them all on the Living Wage (£7.65 compared to the top rate of Minimum Wage of £6.31). Since then 11 other cleaning and facilities businesses across the country have followed his lead. Derek’s been telling us what was behind the move: