Investor activist group ShareAction is leading renewed calls for major UK supermarkets to restore worker pay to the real living wage, after several retailers scaled back commitments amid industry cost pressures. The voluntary benchmark, reflecting true living costs, currently stands at £13.45 per hour nationally and £14.80 in London.
Marks & Spencer, Co-operative Group, Tesco, and Sainsbury’s are among the chains that no longer match the real living wage, despite recent pay increases. M&S announced a rise of at least 6.4 per cent but no longer aligns with the benchmark. The Co-op, which raised pay by 3.5 per cent from April, dropped its previous long-standing commitment.
Tesco and Sainsbury’s have not matched the living wage since 2025, though both pay above the national minimum wage after above-inflation rises. Discount supermarkets Aldi and Lidl remain the only major grocers to pay entry-level staff in line with the real living wage nationwide, with Aldi’s rate exceeding it.
ShareAction’s head of good work, Louise Eldridge, said: “It’s disappointing to see supermarkets like M&S, Sainsbury’s and Tesco moving away from matching the real Living Wage pay rates after setting the pace in recent years.” She added that investors continue to push for concrete commitments, highlighting proven business benefits such as improved morale and productivity.
Responding to the pressure, Sainsbury’s noted a 42 per cent increase in hourly wages over five years, while Tesco pointed to a 43 per cent rise. A Co-op spokesperson said the group had aligned its lowest pay with the living wage in recent years but is not formally accredited. M&S stressed it never formally committed to the benchmark.
