Supermarkets go for consolidated pay deals

Almost all the major supermarket chains have settled wage agreements paying up to 2.5% following the Tesco 2.5% deals reported by Workplace Report in July and September 2009.

Sainsbury’s settlement with USDAW retail workers’ union is for 2.5%, with an increase in nightshift premia of 3.4%. There is also a doubling in supervisory skills’ payments from 16 to 32 pence per hour. ASDA Stores settled for 2% in an agreement with the GMB general union. Morrisons settlement with USDAW is for 2.0% on basic rates with additional increases for 'skilled' grade rates. Somerfield Stores has also agreed a 2% pay deal for all grades with USDAW. Negotiations at the Coop are still ongoing.

An USDAW spokesperson said settlements this year had “concentrated on an increase in core pay rates” with only small improvements elsewhere. “We are quite pleased we have been able to secure deals around 2-2.5%,” he said. “Even though food retailers have done comparatively better than the rest of the economy they have still found it a tough year, so it still has been a tough pay bargaining round as employers have been fearful of what might happen in the next 12 months as well.”