MPs PRESENT 90,000 SIGNATURES AGAINST M&S PAY CUT PROPOSALS

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Today, Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh brought a delegation of MPs and campaigners to M&S’s flagship store in Marble Arch to deliver a UK Change petition against M&S pay cuts to the Head of HR, Deborah Warman. M&S’s pay and pensions proposals include severe cuts to Sunday pay, Bank Holiday pay, unsocial hours pay, as well as cuts to the generous pension scheme that long-standing staff are on.

The pensions changes will effect up to 11,000 of M&S’s 70,000 workforce. The company has confirmed that the pay changes will detrimentally impact 2700 staff members by over £1000 per year and 700 members of staff by over £2000 per year. Some members of staff will be losing up to £6000 per year. M&S have claimed that these measures will just ‘simplify’ pay structures and pay, for a general increase in per hour pay. But these changes include several job tiers being completely abolished – and staff with decades of experience will be paid the same amount as new staff members.

Ruth Cadbury, Member of Parliament for Brentford and Isleworth said: ‘In the past few weeks I have had a number of emails from M&S staff members who live locally who are all really concerned that the changes will detrimentally impact on themselves and their families. M&S is a shop with a good reputation and I am sure that they would like to reassure staff members and customers that no employee will face long term financial implications as a result of these changes. I have written to the CEO of M&S, Steve Rowe inviting him to meet with me to discuss this further.’

Last week, Siobhain McDonagh discovered that M&S has spent £60m on a new marketing deal.

Labour MP, Siobhain McDonagh, who has been leading the campaign said: ‘It is extremely telling that M&S senior management has decided to prioritise a £60m marketing deal, at exactly the same time as they are consulting on cutting staff pay by thousands of pounds. The company is clearly aware of the reputational damage that it has faced as a result of the changes it plans. Loyal, longstanding staff have lost their morale after years of loyal service – while M&S customers are seriously disappointed by a company that they had always seen as well-respected bastions of moral values on the high street. M&S could save that £60m by reversing their planned cuts – that would do wonders for its reputation.’