Morrisons will be increasing hourly pay at its UK stores from late October as part of a three-stage uplift. In May, the supermarket chain announced that a proposed pay deal for store and manufacturing workers had been resoundingly approved by the USDAW union, which negotiates pay for large parts of the workforce.
It opened the door for implementing pay increases for all eligible hourly-paid staff in three phases. The pay boost began with hourly rates for all Customer Assistants rising to £12.81 (backdated to March 30), with all other established hourly rates for eligible roles increasing by 10p. From Monday, July 20, 2026, customer assistants at Morrisons stores will see pay increase from £12.81 to £13.00, with all other established hourly rates for the other roles rising by 19p.
Then, from Monday, October 26, 2026, the hourly rate will climb further, from £13.00 to £13.11, with pay for the other roles upped by 11p.
In the May announcement, Morrisons said that, in addition, all eligible hourly-paid colleagues would receive a one-off fixed payment of between £25 and £175 based on their contractual hours.
Morrisons’ Group People Director, Jodie Keating, said at the time: “We’re pleased that we can now implement the pay proposal and increase pay for our colleagues to reward them for the contribution they make to our business.
“I would like to thank all our colleagues for everything they continue to do for Morrisons.”
It comes as Morrisons’ supermarket rivals also upped workers’ pay this year in a bid to retain and attract staff, as UK households continue to wrestle with cost-of-living pressures.
From March 1, Lidl increased hourly pay for store assistants outside London to £13.45, a rate that rises to £14.00 depending on length of service.
In London, entry-level store workers had their pay upped to £14.80 per hour, while the hourly rate for experienced staff can rise up to £15.35.
The following month, Store Assistants working at Aldi’s UK branches also saw their pay increase (to £13.50 per hour nationally, with those working inside in the M25 getting £14.88).
These pay rates rise to £14.47 and £15.20 respectively based on length of service. Aldi said at the time that the change would benefit 28,000 hourly-paid store workers.
Other major retailers that increased hourly pay in 2026 include Sainsbury’s, Primark, and John Lewis.
