COMPANIES bidding for contracts from the City Council will have to demonstrate they are willing to pay the Glasgow living wage.

The new scheme is one of a range of measures aimed at tackling in-work poverty.

In future, companies which want to win work from the local authority will have to answer questions on their approach to recruitment and whether they pay the living wage.

They will also have to show they do not use "exploitative" zero hours contracts or blacklist union members.

The answers to these questions will now carry a greater weight when council officers are evaluating tenders.

Council leader Gordon Matheson said: "This has been a landmark year in Glasgow's history and provides a fantastic point from which to look to the future and how we can all shape and benefit from a prosperous Glasgow.

"In recent years, we have taken steps to ensure the city weathered the worst of the economic conditions and as a result, we have emerged with a much healthier and more diverse economy.

"But not everyone benefits from our improved position and we want do to everything possible to ensure that in future they will.

"Our new procurement policy will reward those companies who pay the Glasgow living wage, offer real community benefits, don't employ staff on exploitative zero hours contacts and who don't have a track record of blacklisting trade union members..

"The responsibility to tackle the scandal of in-work poverty is something that is shared by the council and all of the contractors and suppliers with whom we do business."

The Glasgow living wage will increase to £7.85 an hour from £7.65 from April 1 next year.

The council's 19,500 staff are all currently paid at least the living wage along with a further 41,500 people employed in organisations across the city.