Retail giants M&S, Sainsbury's, and JD Sports to face inquiries regarding inadequate wages for shop employees
In a push for fairer wages, activist group ShareAction is challenging three major retailers - Marks & Spencer, JD Sports, and Sainsbury's - over low pay at their annual general meetings (AGMs). The campaign aims to pressure these retailers to increase the hourly wage of their lowest-paid workers and pay the 'real living wage', a higher wage rate than the government's legal living wage.
Sainsbury's reported a 3% increase in sales for the 16 weeks ending 22 June, though this growth was slower compared to the previous quarter. The supermarket chain has committed to paying their third-party contract workers, such as cleaners and security staff, at least the real living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation. However, Sainsbury's chief executive, Simon Roberts, is set to receive almost £5 million in pay this year, more than 200 times the earnings of the average employee at Sainsbury's.
Marks & Spencer, on the other hand, made profits of £380 million last year and invested significantly in improved maternity and paternity policies. Yet, the company has not yet committed to paying its third-party contracted staff, including cleaners and security guards, the real living wage. According to an M&S spokesperson, this year, they made the biggest ever investment in retail pay, £89 million, to at least £12 per hour, in line with the real living wage.
JD Sports' sales figures for the same period were not disclosed.
The real living wage is calculated by the Living Wage Foundation, currently standing at £11.44 an hour nationwide and £13.15 in London. ShareAction is advocating for retailers to pay their staff this wage, arguing that it is essential for workers to earn a wage that meets their everyday needs and allows them to live with dignity.
Notably, the vast majority of third-party contractors who work in stores, depots, contact centres, and store support centres for Sainsbury's are already paid at or above the real living wage.
This is not the first time ShareAction has targeted retailers over low pay. Previously, they targeted Tesco, Greggs, Next, and B&Q owner Kingfisher. The activists will also challenge the boards of JD Sports and Sainsbury's at their AGMs.
As the debate over fair wages continues, these retailers face mounting pressure to address the pay gap between executives and their lowest-paid workers and to commit to paying the real living wage.
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