Dave Gill – Usdaw National Officer says: “Usdaw has been in discussions with IKEA about increasing hourly rates and to pay staff at least £10 per hour. Usdaw and our members are very pleased to hear today that, following these discussions, the company has agreed to pay 20p, and 25p in London, above the new Living Wage rate from January, which is over £10 per hour for all staff.
“IKEA has long been a Living Wage employer and we are pleased to see them become one of a few retailers to pay more than the recommended rate. If retail is to recover, thrive and prosper employers need to invest in staff and that means decent pay, fair contracts and secure jobs. Usdaw’s campaign for a new deal for workers continues and we hope many other retailers will follow IKEA’s lead.”
Usdaw’s New Deal for Workers calls for:
- A minimum wage of at least £10 per hour for all workers, ending rip-off youth rates and providing a living wage.
- Minimum contract of 16 hours per week, for everyone who wants it, that reflects normal hours worked and a ban on zero-hour contracts.
- Better sick pay for all workers, from day one, at average earnings.
- Protection at work – respect for shopworkers, abuse is not a part of the job.
- A proper social security system, Universal Credit does not provide a safety net.
- Job security, with day one employment rights for unfair dismissal and redundancy.
- Fair treatment and equality for all workers, including equal pay.
- A voice at work, stop rogue employers refusing to engage with trade unions and end ‘fire and rehire’.
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest trade union with over 370,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades.
The
Living Wage Foundation announced in November new rates for the real Living wage of £9.90 per hour and a higher rate of £11.05 in London. The Government’s so-called ‘National Living Wage’ is currently £8.91, which is set to rise to £9.50 in April, with lower National Minimum Wage rates for younger workers.
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter
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