Pennys Managers Given Pay Increase While Refusing Similar For Staff

Staff at cut-price clothing chain Penny’s have been urged to "take every legitimate opportunity" to express their disappointment to management following an announcement that a pay rise they were refused is to be given to managers.

Managers will receive a 2% pay rise after the store refused a similar increase for the 3,000 lower-paid staff.

A national negotiating scheme for the union Mandate, sent a letter to its members saying that clothing chain confirmed it is giving the majority of management grades a 2pc pay rise, backdated to September.

The negotiators said members were experiencing more "hurt and despair" after a 2.5pc pay rise had been given to workers at its sister business in Northern Ireland last year.

"It is important that you and your fellow union members take every legitimate opportunity to directly express to management your disappointment at the way you are being treated," the letter stated. "Otherwise, silence will be seen as compliance and acceptance." The team condemned the decision to pay the increase at a time when it had been forced to refer a claim for a 3pc pay increase to the Labour Court.

The union officials said it could only be seen as "a slight and a total disregard for the contribution made by the vast majority of workers who are principally responsible for driving the significant success of the Penneys business in recent years".

(H)