Supermarket giant, Sainsbury's has announced that it has raised pay for staff again and offered free food during shifts.
It comes as part of the brand's £25 million package to help support workers that are facing the pressures of the cost-of-living crisis.
The UK’s second-largest supermarket chain has said that £20 million of the cash boost will go towards a pay increase.
This will see around 127,000 hourly paid colleagues receiving a 25p per hour increase from October.
That means that Sainsbury’s and Argos retail staff will see minimum pay lift from £10 to £10.25 per hour, with this increasing from £11.05 to £11.30 per hour in London.
It comes after the retail giant increased the basic hourly pay for workers from £9.50 to £10 in January.
Sainsbury’s has said the latest pay increase means frontline workers will have seen a 7.9% pay rise over the year.
Sainsbury’s added that the latest move will bring total investment into supporting its workers to around £150 million.
The new pay rates will come into effect from October 16 and will not affect the next annual pay review.
Sainsbury's to offer free food to staff
The retail giant also shared that it will be giving workers "access to basic food items during shifts" starting from the first week of October until the end of December.
Along with increasing discounts in Sainsbury's as well as in Argos.
“The free food will ensure that colleagues can have something to eat while they are at work and the longer and deeper discounts will help colleagues plan and manage their budgets through the autumn and in the run-up to Christmas,” the company said.
Sainsbury's to shut stores for the Queen's funeral
It comes a day after Sainsbury’s confirmed it would be among major retailers to shut stores on Monday, September 19 due to the Queen’s funeral.
Simon Roberts, chief executive of Sainsbury’s said: “Every day, I am hearing from colleagues who are really feeling the pressures of the rising cost of living.
“That’s why we are doing everything we can to help our colleagues as they face rising bills and living costs this autumn by investing £25 million into a package of support, including an early pay increase.
“This is the first time we have given two pay rises in the same year.”
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