USDAW - Pay Review Update

I am pleased to update you on the progress of our 2025 pay review following our negotiation with USDAW last week. 

Statement from USDAW:-

‘Throughout the negotiations, the USDAW National Committee emphasised that although inflation was falling our members are still living through a cost of living crisis with higher energy ,council Tax and housing costs . They pointed out that faced with relatively low inflation forecasts, this was the opportunity to restore pay to its real value. 

The committee were also mindful of the challenging economic environment and higher national insurance bill Midcounties Co-op will be facing this year and therefore welcome their commitment to increasing pay to above the national living wage.

The committee are recommending that members accept this offer not because it meets our members expectations but because having reviewed the societies’ ability to pay it is a fair offer.’

The Society considers many factors when proposing the pay increases to USDAW including affordability, benchmarking our operational roles against the market, the number of vacancies and turnover rate.

The offer is as follows:

• A minimum rate of pay for all hourly rate colleagues of £12.24 (Average of 6.5% increase) effective from 1^st April 2025

• Team Leaders in Food will increase by 4.17% to £13.23 and receive a further increase in October to £13.33 (total increase of 4.97%)

• Food Team Manager, Food Store Managers and Post Office Managers will receive 2%, or 1% if the colleague is currently paid over the banding / new pay rate

• Qualified Childcare colleagues will receive between 2.8% and 10.20% (London)

• Deputy Nursery Manager, Nursery Manager and Senior Nursery Manager will receive 5%, or 1% if the colleague is currently paid over the banding / new pay rate

• Travel Advisor / Senior Travel Advisor / VTE will receive between 5.5% and 6.5%

• Assistant Travel Manager will receive 5% and Travel Branch Manager will receive 2%, or 1% if the either Assistant Travel Manager or Travel Branch Manager is currently paid over the banding / new pay rate

• Central teams/Support Services/ non-operational colleagues will receive 1%

This means 68% of our colleagues will receive an increase above 6%, 21% of our colleagues above 2% and 11% of our colleagues receiving 1%.  There will be no colleagues red circled this year.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank our Union reps and our partners in USDAW for their ongoing support over the last year in working with the Society to benefit our colleagues.

USDAW will complete the ballot electronically and will be contacting USDAW members directly by email. If you have not recently provided the Society with an up-to-date email address, it is advisable that you check your email address on your IFS Self-service. If your email has changed you can update your details by raising a service now request as soon as possible click here. Any changes received after the ballot has been sent will mean that you may not receive a ballot.  If you don’t receive a ballot paper, please contact USDAW by email – heather.neagle@usdaw.org.uk.

As soon as I have the response from the ballot, I will confirm the outcome to you. Thank you again for all the hard work you do on behalf of the Society.

Susan Barguss
Chief Operating Officer - People