Pret A Manger gives staff third pay rise in a year

Pret A Manger volition springiness unit their 3rd wage emergence successful 12 months, pursuing different firms successful boosting wages during a labour shortage.

The java concatenation said the rise, to statesman successful April, amounts to a 19% bump successful year-on-year wage for store staff.

Retailers including Tesco person made akin moves successful the past twelvemonth arsenic firms effort to clasp unit struggling with near-record precocious surviving costs.

Overall inflation, the complaint astatine which prices rise, is astatine 10.1%.

Around 7,870 Pret A Manger unit were fixed wage rises successful April and December 2022.

By raising basal wage to supra the complaint of inflation, the concatenation said its baristas would beryllium among "the highest paid successful the industry", capable to gain up to £11.80-£14.10 an hr based connected determination and experience.

It said that by April, for introduction level staff, the emergence amounts to a 15% wage emergence year-on-year.

In February, Britain's biggest grocer Tesco agreed to summation its workers' wages by 7%, marking their 3rd wage emergence successful 10 months, whilst Asda said it would rise wage by 10%. Aldi and Lidl besides announced higher pay.

The UK has been suffering a shortage of workers, attributed to semipermanent sickness aft the pandemic and a deficiency of overseas workers to assistance capable disposable roles.

The rising outgo of surviving has besides meant galore unit are seeking roles astatine amended paying firms.

Rising costs person besides led to wide unit walkouts, starring to strikes successful sectors specified arsenic rail, nursing and teaching.

However, immoderate economists are disquieted that ample wage increases hazard making it harder to trim the complaint of inflation.

In February past year, Bank of England politician Andrew Bailey said workers should not inquire for large wage rises successful bid to forestall prices rises becoming entrenched.

Guy Meakin, Pret A Manger's interim managing director, said: "As the outgo of surviving continues to rise, we anticipation this latest summation successful pay, and our expanded benefits package, goes immoderate mode successful providing further enactment for our hardworking teams."