Sainsbury’s, the London-based retailer, is under pressure to pass a resolution to pay living wages to its direct staff and contracted workers.
Come 7 July and Sainsbury’s will vote at its AGM meeting to commit to paying the so-called real living wage to all its workers by July 2023.
Meanwhile, ShareAction, which is coordinating the resolution, has said that the resolution would be a litmus test for investors’ social commitments amidst the cost-of-living crisis.
ShareAction is a registered charity that promotes responsible investment.
Notably, Sainsbury’s has spent £ 100 million in 2022 increasing salaries; however, it wants to retain the flexibility to manage its wage bills rather than lock itself into higher pay levels set by a third party.
April 2022 had seen the retailer raise pay for its 171,000 employees across over 1,400 stores in the UK to the living wage.
This was independently calculated for the Living Wage Foundation charity, of at least £ 9.90 an hour outside London or £ 11.05 in the capital.
However, the retailer did not make the same commitment to contractors.
Sainsbury’s was founded in 1869 and is known for apparels, homewares, groceries and electricals, amongst others.
