Marks & Spencer offers 55,000 staff pay rise however drops actual residing wage pledge

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Your help makes all of the distinction. Learn extra Retail big Marks & Spencer has withdrawn its dedication to pay staff in step with the actual residing wage, regardless of asserting a pay enhance for its 55,000 retailer staff.

From 1 April, the excessive road chain will increase wages for retail workers by at the least 6.4 per cent, setting new charges at £13.41 an hour nationwide, or £14.74 per hour for these primarily based in London.

These revised figures imply the retailer will provide charges above the nationwide minimal wage, which is about to rise to £12.71 per hour for these aged 21 and over throughout the UK from the identical date.

Nonetheless, M&S's new pay construction not aligns with the actual residing wage, a voluntary benchmark calculated to mirror the true price of residing.

This normal is at the moment £13.45 an hour throughout the UK and £14.80 in London.

Shareholder activist group ShareAction has referred to as on M&S to reinstate its pay in step with the actual residing wage, describing it as "important for staff’ livelihoods".

<img src="https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/03/03/15/a744234d5f1e65ab55c295c718d03d9fY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzcyNjM2NjQx-2.80235987.jpg" srcset="https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/03/03/15/a744234d5f1e65ab55c295c718d03d9fY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzcyNjM2NjQx-2.80235987.jpg?quality=75&width=320&auto=webp 320w, https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/03/03/15/a744234d5f1e65ab55c295c718d03d9fY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzcyNjM2NjQx-2.80235987.jpg?quality=75&width=640&auto=webp 640w" loading="lazy" alt="Retail giant Marks & Spencer has dropped its pledge on paying staff the real living wage" class="sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn"/> open picture in gallery

Retail big Marks & Spencer has dropped its pledge on paying workers the actual residing wage (James Manning/PA) Louise Eldridge, head of fine work at ShareAction, mentioned: “With extra folks struggling to cowl fundamentals, it’s worrying to see one other main grocery store step again from the one unbiased benchmark on what folks have to take residence to satisfy the price of residing, save for the longer term, and revel in their free time.

“That is important for staff’ livelihoods and it’s good for enterprise, with every kind of confirmed advantages together with lowering turnover and attracting increased high quality expertise.

“We’re urging M&S – and the broader sector – to think about restoring full alignment with the actual residing wage in London and throughout the UK.”

In final March’s retailer workers pay rise announcement, M&S mentioned it had elevated pay to be in step with the actual residing wage.

However the group mentioned on Tuesday it had invested greater than £350 million in workers pay over the previous 4 years, equating to a rise of greater than 34 per cent.

<img src="https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/01/08/08/927c87dc616f30b452fd1c5408ffa006Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzY3OTQ1MDU1-2.78642177.jpg" srcset="https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/01/08/08/927c87dc616f30b452fd1c5408ffa006Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzY3OTQ1MDU1-2.78642177.jpg?quality=75&width=320&auto=webp 320w, https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/01/08/08/927c87dc616f30b452fd1c5408ffa006Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzY3OTQ1MDU1-2.78642177.jpg?quality=75&width=640&auto=webp 640w" loading="lazy" alt="M&S's new pay structure no longer aligns with the real living wage, a voluntary benchmark calculated to reflect the true cost of living" class="sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn"/> open picture in gallery

M&S's new pay construction not aligns with the actual residing wage, a voluntary benchmark calculated to mirror the true price of residing (PA Archive) The newest pay rise for retailer workers will price it greater than £70 million and is increased than inflation, it mentioned.

Stuart Machin, chief govt of M&S, mentioned: “It is a good price and I'm happy that we now have been in a position to make this inflation-beating pay award, alongside our main bundle of advantages.