Campaigners march on Oxford Street's Marks & Spencer over plans to cut pay

'Scrap plans': 70,000 people signed a petition over plans to cut pay to offset the National Living Wage
PA
Fiona Simpson2 September 2016

Campaigners marched on Marks & Spencer's Oxford Street store calling for plans to cut pay to be scrapped.

Some 70,000 people signed a Change.org petition set up by an employee, using the name Kate Simpson, with 43-years’ service to the business.

She said proposals to cut extra pay for working unsociable hours targeted long-serving employees and would see 11,000 staff lose up to £6,000 a year.

She did not attend the demo earlier today, and employees were encouraged to send along friends on their behalf so as not to reveal their identities.

The petition was handed in at M&S's flagship Marble Arch store on one of the capital’s busiest shopping streets.

Among the party were MPs Nia Griffith, Carolyn Harris, John Spellar, Karen Buck and Siobhain McDonagh.

M&S, which employs 69,000 store staff, said in May that the introduction of the National Living Wage had prompted a review of wages, with plans to increase the base rate for qualified customer assistants to £8.50 an hour outside London and £9.65 for those in Greater London from next April.

But it also announced changes to so-called premium payments for Sundays and unsociable hours, which will see it axe extra pay for Sunday shifts and introduce a flat rate for bank holidays.

'Say no': Campaigners called on bosses to scrap plans to cut pay
PA

It will also introduce a standard rate for shifts between 10pm and 6am, at £3 extra an hour for customer assistants.

"Kate Simpson", who is now in her 60s and started working for M&S when she was 18, wrote on Change.org: "I had a very charmed career, I got to do lots of interesting jobs and it offered privileges, but my love affair with M&S is finished now.

"When our manager made the announcement I felt like a bucket of cold water had been thrown in my face.”

A spokesman for M&S said this week that around 90 per cent of staff would be better off under the proposals.

Scrap plans: Employees and friends handed a 70,000-strong petition to have plans to cut pay scrapped
PA

He added: "We believe our proposed new approach to pay and pensions would reward our people in a fair and consistent way, simplify and modernise our business and help us attract and retain the best talent so we can continue to provide great service for our customers.

"The proposals include one of the highest pay rates and one of the best benefit packages in UK retail.

"We are now consulting with our colleagues and listening carefully to their feedback."

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