The Lincolnshire Co-op today (April 30) announced that following discussions with the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw), “a pay increase averaging 5.8% is being awarded to colleagues”.
The deal “covers more than 95%” of its staff and includes the approximately 550 pharmacy workers employed at the independent co-operative society’s 43 pharmacies and wholesale warehouse, it told C+D.
Read more: Lincolnshire Co-op set to join the CCA
“All roles will receive a minimum of £12.36 per hour and every colleague covered by the agreements will get at least a 77p per hour uplift,” it said.
The uplift will be “paid in the society’s May pay run” but will be “backdated to April 1”, it added.
As well as pharmacy staff, those working in food, travel, funeral, post office and support services at the Co-op will also receive the increase, the society said.
“Fairly rewarded”
According to the Co-op, the new minimum pay rate means that it will continue “to pay all colleagues at least 15p per hour above the National Living Wage”.
And it also means that the society will be investing “an extra £3.3 million per year into colleague pay”, it said.
Usdaw national officer Jayne Allport said that the union is “pleased to have negotiated an above-inflation pay increase, despite lower inflation rates than last year and following on from previous significant pay increases”.
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“The cost of living continues to be a key concern for our members, so the business’ decision to respond in such a positive manner is a welcome one for them,” she said, adding that “it is only right they are fairly rewarded”.
And Lincolnshire Co-op chief executive Alison Hands stressed that this move “is a large investment into colleague pay”, adding that it wants “to support…colleagues during this challenging time, where people’s household budgets are under pressure”.
Read more: Union secures 5% pay rise for Tesco pharmacy staff
“Growth will enable us to continue to provide our valued services and give back to our community,” she said, adding that the Co-op was “pleased to be able to work with Usdaw through this process”.
It comes after the Company Chemists’ Association (CCA) announced that the Lincolnshire Co-op was joining its membership at the start of January.
Meanwhile, Usdaw also successfully secured a 5.2% increase in hourly pay for Tesco workers, including pharmacy staff, in March – rising to “£12.45 per hour in March and £12.65 in August”.
