Drivers employed at discount retail organisation Home Bargains in Liverpool have voted to accept a two-year pay deal, and are set to receive an 11.4% pay increase
The pay deal, which was negotiated with the trade union Unite, includes an increase to hourly pay from £15.85 an hour to £17.67 an hour, to be implemented over a two-year period. Unite has calculated that this equates to an 11.4% pay increase for hundreds of driving staff.
The agreed deal was the result of proposed changes to Home Bargains employees’ shift and payment schedules; in order to accept the revised terms and conditions, Unite negotiated a corresponding pay rise for affected members.
Home Bargains, the trading name for TJ Morris, has around 500 UK-based stores. The drivers are responsible for delivering goods from the organisation’s warehouses to its network of national shops.
Steve Gerrard, regional officer at Unite, said: “Drivers at Home Bargains have secured a significant pay increase, which means their annual salary will reach £36,278 as a result of the deal.
“We believe this is an industry-leading pay deal, which rewards our members for their hard work. It comes at a time when other retailers have demonstrated the greed ethos, which has resulted in terms and conditions being slashed in other areas of the retail sector.
“Home Bargains is a very successful and well-known high street chain. When it approached [employees] to change their terms and conditions, we negotiated a deal which worked for the staff and recognised the contribution they make to the effective operation of this huge network of stores.”
Home Bargains was unavailable for comment at the time of publication.
