Marks & Spencer: Retail giant announces hourly pay rise for 40,000 staff
The group said it was spending £89m on increasing pay for UK customer assistants across its food and clothing shops from £10.90 an hour to £12 an hour from April 1.
For staff working in London, minimum hourly wages will rise from £12.05 to £13.15.
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Hide AdThe move means M&S staff will be paid slightly more than the National Living Wage, often referred to as the minimum wage, which is set to rise to £11.44 in April and will apply to 21- and 22-year-olds for the first time.
M&S said the higher hourly rate equates to about £180 a month more for full-time workers.
Stuart Machin, the retailer’s chief executive, said it marked the group’s “biggest ever investment” into pay, with standard hourly wages rising by a quarter over two years.
“Our vision is to be the most trusted retailer – and that starts with being the most trusted employer,” he added.
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Hide AdOther UK retailers have announced pay rises for shop workers in recent months.
Discounted supermarket Lidl said its 26,000 hourly-paid employees will benefit from entry level rates of £12 an hour from March, rising to £13 with length of service.
Those working in stores inside the M25 will see pay rates rise to £13.55, increasing to £13.85 over time.
Aldi, Sainsbury’s and Ikea have also announced minimum pay rises for staff outside of London to £12 per hour.
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