A big shake-up is coming to UK stores within a few weeks
Morrisons looks set to introduce the new rule for staff(Image: Ray Orton via Getty Images)
Leading UK supermarket chain Morrisons looks set to implement a new rule for staff from October.
The supermarket chain is in talks with a trade union that could result in shopfloor staff receiving wages above the national living wage. Morrisons brought pay for store and warehouse employees up to £12.71, in line with the national living wage, on March 30, while also tabling a separate pay offer to union members that could push earnings to £13.11 before the year is out.
The proposed change, pending approval from the Usdaw union, would see customer assistant pay climb to £12.81 per hour, backdated to March 30, with the base rate for all hourly workers set to increase to £13 in July and £13.11 in October, reports the Express.
The offer, currently being voted on by 45,000 Usdaw members, was disclosed in an internal document obtained by Retail Week.
Morrisons, the last of the major UK supermarkets to confirm its annual pay settlement, had previously been embroiled in a protracted dispute with Usdaw over its reluctance to offer a rise beyond the living wage.
The national living wage for workers aged 21 and over was lifted by 4.1 per cent to £12.71 in April, while the minimum wage for those aged between 18 and 20 was simultaneously raised by 8.5 per cent to £10.85.
The supermarket had previously cited a “number of challenges” to justify its decision to pay staff the minimum permissible amount, including £200 million in “unexpected” cost increases introduced last April, amongst them the Government’s adjustments to National Insurance contributions. The supermarket giant also shut 17 of its smaller Morrison Daily outlets last year, bringing the total number of closures across 2025 to 103 sites, encompassing cafes and pharmacies
Despite its financial difficulties, Morrisons committed to reducing prices on its most popular products this month, as part of its pledge to offer customers greater value amid mounting household costs linked to the Iran war.
The price cuts span the retailer’s Savers range, covering both food and everyday household essentials.
