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Usdaw welcomes an above inflation 5% pay increase

Retail trade union Usdaw has welcomed Sainsbury’s announcement of an above inflation pay increase of five per cent for hourly paid colleagues in the year ahead. Hourly pay is to increase to £13.23 per hour nationally and £14.54 per hour in London from March 2026. Sainsbury’s has increased pay by 42% in the last five years.

29 January 2026

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Joanne Thomas, Usdaw General Secretary, said: “Usdaw has a longstanding and valued relationship with Sainsbury's and we welcome today’s announcement of an above inflation pay rise. Our members are key workers in their communities and crucial to the success of the business. It is only right they are fairly rewarded for their hard work, a case that Usdaw has consistently made in pay talks with the company.”

Simon Roberts, Chief Executive of Sainsbury’s, said: “Our colleagues are at the heart of our business. Their hard work and brilliant planning have driven our strong momentum and helped us win grocery market share growth for the sixth consecutive Christmas period. I'm delighted to share that we will be raising pay for our hourly-paid colleagues by five per cent this year. This increase reflects our commitment to rewarding our colleagues for their exceptional service and productivity.” 

Notes for editors:

Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is one of the fastest growing unions in the TUC and the UK's fifth biggest 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 www.usdaw.org.uk

For Usdaw press releases visit: www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Bluesky @usdawunion.bsky.social and Twitter/X @UsdawUnion

Summary

Retail trade union Usdaw has welcomed Sainsbury’s announcement of an above inflation pay increase of five per cent for hourly paid colleagues in the year ahead. Hourly pay is to increase to £13.23 per hour nationally and £14.54 per hour in London from March 2026. Sainsbury’s has increased pay by 42% in the last five years.