Sainsbury’s to pay at least £11 an hour for 127,000 lowest-paid workers

Third pay rise in a year hands employees a 7.3% rise amid fierce competition to retain and recruit staff

Sainsbury’s is handing its lowest-paid workers their third pay rise in a year, taking hourly wages to at least £11, amid fierce competition for shop workers and soaring living costs for employees.

The supermarket chain said it was awarding 127,000 workers the 7.3% pay rise, up from £10.25 an hour previously, which will be implemented early next month. It puts Britain’s second biggest supermarket chain on a par with the discounter Aldi – which also put pay up to £11 this month – and well ahead of rivals Tesco, Asda and Morrisons.