28 February 2024 , 10:52
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Marks & Spencer is giving a pay rise to 40,000 of its staff from April.
The company will spend £89 million to increase the hourly wage for UK customer assistants in its food and clothing shops from £10.90 to £12 starting April 1.
For those working in London, the minimum hourly wages will go up from £12.05 to £13.15. This means M&S staff will earn slightly more than the National Living Wage, which is set to increase to £11.44 in April.
The company said full-time workers will earn about £180 more each month. Stuart Machin, the chief executive officer of the retailer, said this is their "biggest ever investment" into pay, with standard hourly wages going up by a quarter over two years. He added: "Our vision is to be the most trusted retailer and that starts with being the most trusted employer."
Other UK retailers have also announced pay rises for shop workers recently. Lidl said its 26,000 hourly-paid employees will get 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 go up 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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Meanwhile, M&S said that from April, it is introducing six weeks' paternity leave at full pay, and doubling its maternity and adoption leave to 26 weeks at full pay. These measures will cost it £5 million a year, the company said. Its UK team support managers will also see hourly rates rise from £12.20 to £13.05, and from £13.35 to £14.20 for those in London.