Sainsbury’s plan to spice up pay
PICTURE SOURCE – SAINSBURY’S
Sainsbury’s will increase its base rate for employees in its supermarkets and Argos stores from £ 9.50 to £ 10 an hour from March 6th.
Sainsbury chief Simon Roberts said the raise reflects the progress the company has made on its savings plan.
The brand follows in the footsteps of other UK supermarkets; Morrisons, Lidl and Aldi, who announced similar efforts last year.
Sainsbury’s will also increase its minimum hourly rate from £ 9.75 to £ 10.50 for workers on the outskirts of London and from £ 10.10 to £ 11.05 in central London.
By comparison, the UK minimum wage for workers over 23 – the National Living Wage – is set to rise from the current £ 8.91 an hour to £ 9.50 from April.
Meanwhile, the real living wage, voluntarily paid by nearly 9,000 employers across the country, has risen from £ 9.50 to £ 9.90 an hour.
The higher tariffs Sainsbury’s pays apply to around 150,000 of their employees across the company – including shop clerks and truck drivers.
The supermarket chain said it was investing a total of £ 100 million in improving pay and rewards for its frontline workers.
“We are making this significant investment to show our colleagues how much we value the excellent work they do for our customers every day,” said Roberts.
It will also increase driver pay in an ongoing recruitment battle exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic and Brexit.
Minimum wage increases from April 1st:
- National Living Wage for Age 23+: From £ 8.91 to £ 9.50 an hour
- National minimum wage for 21-22 year olds: From £ 8.36 to £ 9.18
- National minimum wage for 18-20 year olds: From £ 6.56 to £ 6.83
- National minimum wage for under 18s: From £ 4.62 to £ 4.81
- The apprentice price: From £ 4.30 to £ 4.81
Grocery delivery drivers are now paid £ 11.50 an hour while Argos Fast Track Delivery drivers are now paid £ 11 an hour based on a base rate of £ 10 an hour plus an additional £ 1 from 75p.
“While the demand for online delivery remains high, this higher pay will help the retailer attract and retain the best talent,” said Sainsbury’s.
Employees also receive a 10% discount on their purchases at Sainsbury’s, Argos and Habitat, which is increased to 15% on each payday for five days.
