M&S and Sainsbury's warned to tackle 'widespread' issue across 'all' UK stores

Marks & Spencer, JD Sports, and Sainsbury's have been urged to commit to the Real Living Wage. ShareAction is poised to confront these retail giants at their upcoming annual general meetings (AGMs) this week.

ShareAction wants to confront them on the issue of low pay and the potential damage it could inflict on their reputations and long-term prospects. Dan Howard, head of good work at ShareAction, commented: "Inadequate pay is a widespread issue in the retail sector, leaving many workers struggling to make ends meet, and with all sorts of negative knock on effects on businesses from high turnover rates to low productivity.

"It's in these businesses' interests to pay their staff a real Living Wage, which allows workers to afford the basic goods and services they need, from housing to food to bills. Crucially, we need to see companies accrediting as Living Wage Employers, which means they commit to paying all their staff a real Living Wage, including third-party contractors, now and into the future."

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Catherine Howarth, chief executive at ShareAction, stated: "The cost-of-living crisis has made it clear that pay inequality and in-work poverty are a blight on our society and urgently need tackling. Businesses paying the real Living Wage is vital to protect living standards for low-paid workers and serves the long-term interests of businesses, investors, and society.

"This is why we are calling on investors to use their influence as shareholders to steward companies in the right direction and ensure all workers receive the real Living Wage." An M&S spokesperson said: "This year we made our biggest ever investment in retail pay £89 million to at least £12 per hour, in line with the real Living Wage, as well as investing in improved maternity and paternity policies as part of our broader reward package.

"Since March 2022 we have increased our standard hourly rate by more than 26 per cent significantly ahead of inflation." The spokesperson added: "Our third-party contractors, as separate businesses, set their rates independently but they must comply with our ethical standards."

"We continue to have constructive, active dialogue with ShareAction and wider stakeholders, most importantly our colleague representative network BIG, with the feedback we are given informing the decisions we make on pay."