***JULY 2016 CAMPAIGN UPDATE: PETITION TO M&S***
https://www.change.org/p/marks-spencers-don-t-make-staff-cuts-to-pay-living-wage
Please sign and share the petition as widely as you can, to put pressure on M&S to change their proposals! https://www.change.org/p/marks-spencers-don-t-make-staff-cuts-to-pay-living-wage
Dozens of employees have come forward outlining the extent to which they will personally lose out as a result of M&S's pay cuts, outlined in the store's proposals.
M&S employs tens of thousands of workers across the country, and is a well-known and well-respected brand. However, the company has proposed several changes to employee terms and conditions that will see thousands of long-serving workers lose out.
The changes include:
- Cutting Sunday premium
- Cutting Bank Holiday premium
- Limiting 'unsocial' hours
- Scrapping the existing pension scheme
Siobhain
called on the Prime Minister this month to do all he can to ensure that companies not abiding by the spirit of the new National Living Wage were stopped from making such pay cuts - however, the government has not committed its support to doing so.
We know that 2,700 employees will be losing out at least £1000 per year as a result of M&S's proposals, and at least 700 will lose out at least £2000 per year.
Furthermore, staff who choose not to sign the new terms and conditions have been threatened with dismissal.
***DO YOU STAND TO LOSE OUT? EMAIL mcdonaghs@parliament.uk
STAFF MEMBERS HAVE GOT IN TOUCH WITH SIOBHAIN ANONYMOUSLY TO HIGHLIGHT THE EXTENT OF THEIR PAY CUTS - READ WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY BELOW
M&S Yammer (social media) site
‘We’ve just been hit by a triple whammy of premium payments and pension changes - and worst of all my job as a coach has been abolished. Never felt as undervalued in my job as I do today’
‘It all works out that for a coach it’s a 39p pay rise - that’s 4%, PLUS we have to pay a minimum of 3% in pension contributions– given that I’ve not even got a cost of living pay rise and losing Sunday and bank holiday pay as well – this is not good news – 22 years’ service’ ‘I will need to consider moving my wife and children to a smaller house, extending the length and term of my mortgage and taking on another part time job to compensate’
‘Fact – I cannot earn next year what I earned last year - even with the one off payment’
‘Sleepless nights and anguish that this has created throughout the company’s long term employees is nothing short of disgraceful’
‘I work every other Sunday and I’ve worked in the business for 17 years – I will be losing double pay, location premium and I’m getting a 40p pay increase – and advisers are getting £1.90 pay rise – section managers 69p – am I missing the point here? It seems that being a loyal hard working long serving member of staff has absolutely no benefit and I feel very let down’
‘
FRANK’
‘I am a section manager at Marks and Spencer … Due to the fact that my team works night shifts many of us will be hit by a double whammy of losing Sunday premium payments together with a reduction in the amount we earn for working unsocial hours overnight. I have members of my team who will be out of pocket to the tune of between £400 and £500 per month if the proposed changes go ahead.
This is also being combined with the proposed withdrawal of our non-contributory pension scheme, meaning that as we are potentially taking such a big hit on salary we would be unable to put money towards our retirement from this point on.
Whilst the implementation of the chancellors policy would undoubtedly result in many staff receiving a welcome boost to pay, it would also have an absolutely devastating impact to others.’
‘
WENDY’
‘Thank you for the question you asked at today’s PMQs Siobhain, it was nice to see that there is someone out there looking out for us.
I am in my 60s and have worked for M&S for almost 20 years now, and this is the first time in all of my years of employment that I have been offered a pay rise that will mean I take home less money, and will have a worse pension.
From the publicity that has been issued from M&S … it comes over that the company is looking after its employees and is a good employer. Nowhere does state that the lowest paid employees in most cases will be paying for the new hourly rate by the loss of the benefits that have been accumulated over years.
So not only will I have to work for another half decade longer than I expected to obtain my old age pension, and lose money if I take my company pension earlier than at the age of 66, I will also be earning less each year., just over £10k gross per year for a part-time week, and we are now forced to work 3 bank holidays each year as well as boxing day if due on shift. Very different terms to the first contract I signed.
‘
MARY’
‘I am a long serving member of M&S, almost 30 years in fact, along with many of my colleagues we have been sent a proposal of changes … These proposals will have a devastating effect on how people will pay their everyday living, with some people in tears worrying about their rent, mortgages, being able to pay their travel. I am saddened that the business feels this proposal is the way forward.
‘
SARAH’
‘I am an affected employer. I am a single woman and I live alone.
I don't earn a huge amount by any means: but if this proposal goes through, I stand to lose nearly £2,000 over the course of a year. My crime is to be a loyal member of staff for over a decade and a half. Morale is very low, and it a small comfort that a least it has now been put in a more public eye’.
‘
EWAN’
‘I am one of the thousands of employees affected by these changes that are being proposed to start in April 2017. Long serving, loyal staff that have worked for the company through good and bad times are being affected… Staff that currently receive double time or time and a half on Sunday's will no longer receive this payment Sunday working will be at single time. Bank Holiday pay is also being reduced from double time to time and a half. Working unsocial hours is also being reduced. The company is reducing loyal, long serving employees pay to pay for the New living wage. All customer assistants will receive £8.50 per hour from 1st April 2017 I fully support this but not at the expense of losing my pay and premium.
I have worked for the company for 17 years I will be losing £1700 a year (gross) some colleagues that work every other Sunday will loss around £3400 (gross) a year and if someone is unfortunate enough that their partner works at M&S this could be up to £6800 per year.
The 11000 staff are having a pay cut to pay for a high rate of pay for customer assistants to meet with the change in the living wage and to be competitive by 2020 when the living wage is at £9.00 per hour… I thank you for bringing this extremely concerning and difficult time for M&S employees and other retail employees to the forefront. Business must not be able to fund this new living wage by reducing other workers pay. As you are aware Marks and Spencer does not recognise a union and have refused to talk to a union concerning their proposals.’
‘ROXANNA’
‘I have been with the company since the 1980s. As you may know marks and spencer have proposed a new pay package which will result in my wage decreasing by around £170 a month. It will also have a negative effect on my pension. I need to continue to work weekends because of difficult personal circumstances. For this reason I cannot work extra shifts during the week as this is when I need to be at home with my son who is sick. Losing this amount of money a month could prove extremely problematic for me and my family. I cannot do extra shifts and if my pay is decreased I do not know what I will be able to do to support my family. This proposed package only effects 11% of the staff, surely this change can be stopped as its effects will not be that detrimental to the company.’
‘BARBARA’
‘I've worked for them for decades and my partner has worked for them even longer. My position is going to be abolished, and the unsocial hours, and the Sunday and bank holiday premiums all affect us. Me and my partner are worried that we won’t be able to pay our mortgage – and it’s so devastating to go from being in secure employment to this uncertainty. Apparently to Marks and Spencer our loyalty and experience mean nothing anymore,it's just so disheartening really.’
‘MAGDA’
‘I have worked for M&S for fifteen years so I qualify for the changes to Sunday payments. We feel that the company is trying to fund the up and coming living wage pay rise by taking our Premium Sunday and Bank holiday payments away from us. We have been loyal, hard working staff and we feel let down and upset by what they are trying to do, so by you saying what you did in the House of Commons yesterday meant a great deal to all of us. So a big Thank You!! It is good to know that someone in Parliament is aware of what is going on because obviously Cameron hasn't got a clue.’
‘BECKY’
‘As a loyal M&S employee with well over a decade’s experience, I would like to commend and thank you for your words of support in parliament this week! These proposed changes will affect me, not only the loss of premiums but the closing of their final salary pension scheme, and the fact they are no longer going to acknowledge my induction coach role. I have interviewed and trained many new employees, and will now be getting paid just the same as them. These proposals are a kick in the teeth to many loyal long service employees. All on the back of the new living wage. To see and hear you in action has brought a little bit of comfort to a lot of colleagues! …There is a consultation period, but I fear these changes will go ahead.’
'CONNOR'
‘I have worked for M&S for 20 years, mainly on nights. Obviously i have enjoyed those years … getting satisfaction from delivering our goals and feeling like I was contributing greatly to achieving our targets. NO MORE...
As you are aware M&S are proposing to cut my night premium, cut Sunday premium and bank holiday totalling several thousand pounds worth of SHORTFALL in my wages per annum!! On top of that, they in their wisdom, suggest i agree to this and also start to contribute into a pension. Where and how am i going to be able to do that?
I am sick but have a wonderful, large family to support, as well as a mortgage. I stand to lose everything… nothing to fall back on, having given my best years to M&S
I feel cheated and betrayed.’