Morrisons locked in dispute with employees over pay rises

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Your help makes all of the distinction. Learn extra Morrisons is locked in a pay dispute with employees after informing employees it doesn't intend to supply substantial wage will increase this yr.

The Bradford-based grocery store group is at present embroiled in discussions with Usdaw (Union of Store, Distributive and Allied Employees), which represents roughly 45,000 Morrisons employees.

The union alleges that the retailer has declined to suggest any pay rise past the statutory nationwide residing wage.

Within the UK, the nationwide residing wage for people aged 21 and over at present stands at £12.21 per hour, with a rise of 4.1 per cent to £12.71 scheduled for April.

Concurrently, the minimal wage for employees between 18 and 20 will rise by 8.5 per cent to £10.85 per hour.

Morrisons linked its choice to pay employees the minimal allowed quantity on a “variety of challenges”, together with £200 million of “surprising” value will increase which got here into pressure final April, together with adjustments to nationwide insurance coverage contributions.

<img src="https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/01/26/15/10100816-82a620cc-0998-477b-8236-aa055fc19237.jpg" srcset="https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/01/26/15/10100816-82a620cc-0998-477b-8236-aa055fc19237.jpg?quality=75&width=320&auto=webp 320w, https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/01/26/15/10100816-82a620cc-0998-477b-8236-aa055fc19237.jpg?quality=75&width=640&auto=webp 640w" loading="lazy" alt="Usdaw alleges that Morrisons has declined to propose any pay rise beyond the statutory national living wage" class="sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn"/> open picture in gallery

Usdaw alleges that Morrisons has declined to suggest any pay rise past the statutory nationwide residing wage The UK’s fifth largest grocery store group additionally highlighted strain from “sturdy competitors for gross sales and market share” in addition to the impression of a cyber assault on its expertise provider Blue Yonder late in 2024.

A Morrisons spokesman mentioned: “On high of this, over the past monetary yr, we’ve invested over £100 million in colleague hourly pay, and with the nationwide residing wage improve in April 2026, we are going to make investments an extra £70 million.

“Towards this backdrop, now we have to stability any additional pay provides, with the general efficiency, affordability and long-term stability of the enterprise.

“We've got not been capable of current a proposal to the Usdaw nationwide committee presently and the union has confirmed they may now observe the method and proceed with a poll of their membership.

“It's Morrisons’ clear place that we wish to proceed the dialogue with Usdaw.”

Darren Matthews, Usdaw nationwide officer, mentioned: “It's a unhappy day when one of many largest retailers within the nation is now a nationwide residing wage employer, significantly as they have been as soon as one of many highest paying of the supermarkets.

“We've got to query whether or not that is the results of personal fairness taking on a family-run enterprise.

“We're very disenchanted that the corporate has not meaningfully engaged with Usdaw in making an attempt to safe a good pay deal for our members, who're core to the success of the enterprise.