New service signs up to Living Wage and Fair Work practices.

A new contract for water billing services in Scotland’s schools, hospitals and other public buildings is set to deliver new jobs, apprenticeships and fair work practices.  Anglian Water Business (AWB) will see them take over the billing of water services to Scotland’s public sector.

To mark the event, AWB became the latest company to sign up to the Scottish Business Pledge and also became an Accredited Living Wage employer, committing to a number of fair work practices, as they bring jobs, apprenticeships and training to Scotland.

Infrastructure Secretary Keith Brown joined AWB Chairman Tony Donnelly and staff to celebrate the launch of the contract.

Mr Brown said: “This new contract sees AWB really embrace one of the key objectives of this Scottish Government – making Scotland a fairer place to work. They are signing up to the Business Pledge and have become and Accredited Living Wage Employer, new apprentices will join the company later this year, staff from the previous contract have TUPE’d over and we have already seen a doubling of the workforce at the Edinburgh office.”

AWB’s bid for the contract offered immediate savings of £5 million a year compared to the nearest bid, and water efficiency support to reduce customers’ water consumption. As well as helping the environment, these ‘green’ measures could reduce bills by a further £5 million a year. This means the contract will save public bodies up to £40 million over the next four years.

AWB Chairman Tony Donnelly said: “Our decades of expertise both sides of the border will, with this contract, mean low water bills for hundreds of public sector organisations – schools, hospitals and other public buildings – and deliver much-needed savings and greater value for the Scottish taxpayer.”