Sharon has supported a petition created on change.org calling for M&S to reconsider their plans to cut worker’s pay to fund the National Living Wage.

This follows a concerted campaign by fellow Labour MP, Siobhain McDonagh MP, who has repeatedly raised these issues in Parliament, firstly in regards to B&Q and now, M&S.

Proposed plans set out by in a consultation by M&S, include:

• Cuts to pay for unsociable hours, including Sundays, Bank Holidays and for working after 9pm;
• Targeting staff who have worked for a long-time within M&S with the member of staff who has created the change.org petition estimated to lose £1366 per year, and;
• The pensions of 11,000 members of staff being affected after closing the final salary pension scheme to new contributions.

The petition calls on Marks and Spencer to ‘think again and scrap these proposals that are targeting their most loyal staff’.

In support of the petition, Sharon said:

“The Government’s version of the National Living Wage should be welcomed by all as a step in the right direction to addressing pay in this country; however, it is important that businesses are not funding this new scheme at the detriment of their workers who have contributed so much to their place of work.

“That is why I am supporting this petition which is calling for a rethink by M&S, and hope as many of my constituents as possible will get behind this petition and ensure that the National Living Wage helps to raise the standards on pay and conditions for some of the lowest paid in our society, and not impact the pay of workers who have dedicated a lot of their time and service to their employer.”

You can find the petition at this link.