Morrisons set to lift staff pay to above the living wage

29th Sep 2015 13:14

(ShareCast News) - UK supermarket retailer Morrisons will raise its hourly rate of pay for staff of all ages to £8.20, above the national living wage due to be introduced by the government in April.Morrisons, which currently pays shop floor staff a minimum of £6.38 an hour, said the higher rate will come into effect from March next year.More than 90,000 employees will benefit from the move, which is expected to cost the company an extra £40m.Chief executive David Potts said: "We have been listening to our colleagues who told us they want their pay to be more competitive and simpler."By paying a significantly higher hourly rate, we are recognising the contribution of our excellent staff, who are so important to the revival of Morrisons."Morrisons recently announced that it was planning to close 11 stores and sell off its Morrisons Local shops.In July, Chancellor George Osborne announced that the minimum hourly wage will rise to £7.20 from £6.50 as of next April for all those aged over 25, and to around £9.35 by 2020.