BUSINESSES in Scotland have been told they should rehire sacked staff to ensure they qualify for wage subsidies.

Representatives across the political spectrum spoke out yesterday, calling for businesses to reverse lay-offs made in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Scottish Labour are pressing the government to give assurances that incomes will be protected. 

Rhoda Grant MSP said: “Workers need an assurance from the Scottish government that they will have enough money to live on, and businesses need to be reassured they will not come out of this crisis saddled with debt.

“It is welcome news that some who have already been let go from their positions may be able to return them so they can access the wage subsidies now being offered, but unfortunately this will not be the case for everyone affected.

“The response to this crisis must include protections for people’s incomes as a matter of public health as well as social justice.”

This sentiment was echoed by Scotland’s economy secretary Fiona Hyslop, who insisted staff sacked in recent weeks should be rehired. 

The SNP MSP added that self-employed people can access emergency funding, following concerns over loss of income for those in the gig economy.

Speaking on BBC Scotland, Ms Hyslop said: “We need to make sure the economy responds to a public health crisis.

“But we also need to make sure we have productive capacity for when we recover [and] have the workforce and the companies in the future.

“I don’t think that [universal credit] is satisfactory. The Scottish Welfare Fund is there to help people in crisis. 

“Things are happening at pace and we want to make sure we get money in people’s pockets.”