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Factbox-What European companies are doing as workers face high inflation

Here are some examples by sector:

AUTOS, AIRLINES AND TRAVEL:

VOLKSWAGEN

Volkswagen (ETR:VOWG_p) in late November agreed a two-year wage deal for workers at its western German factories, offering around 8.5% more pay, as well as a lump-sum payment worth 3,000 euros after tax.

LUFTHANSA

German carrier Lufthansa on Nov. 1 said it would increase salaries of 19,000 cabin crew members. The raise will come in two stages next year, with 250 euros more basic pay from Jan. 1, and 2.5% more basic pay from July 1.

BREMBO

Brake maker Brembo in May announced a 1,000 euro ($977) gross one-off salary increase to its employees in Italy.

STELLANTIS

Automaker Stellantis said on Sept. 27 it would provide financial support worth up to 1,400 euros to most of its employees in France and would soon discuss a similar move in Italy.

Italian unions representing staff at Stellantis, Ferrari (NYSE:RACE), Iveco and CNH Industrial (NYSE:CNHI) have demanded a wage rise of 8.4% in 2023.

AMSTERDAM SCHIPHOL AIRPORT

Amsterdam Schiphol airport is offering security workers a pay rise of 20% on average in a bid to solve ongoing staff shortages, labour union FNV said on Oct. 6.

AIR FRANCE

Air France on Sept. 14 said it would raise salaries for all staff by 5% in anticipation of wage talks due next year and make a 1,000 euro bonus payment.

RENAULT

Carmaker Renault (EPA:RENA) in September offered staff over 1,000 euros in exceptional payments.

BRITISH AIRWAYS

British Airways on July 22 accepted a new pay offer for staff at Heathrow airport which included a consolidated pay rise of 8%, a one-off bonus and the reinstatement of shift pay.

SAGA

British holiday group Saga in September said it is offering one-off benefits to frontline staff which include an 11% pay rise and a one-off cost-of-living payment.

The cost-of-living payment will be made in the form of two cash payments of 500 pounds each.

FOOD AND GENERAL RETAILERS:

DIA

Spanish retailer Dia agreed on Nov. 25 to give employees at supermarkets and warehouses pay rises of up to 12%over the next two years, plus special bonuses to some lower-paid workers.

TESCO

Britain’s biggest retailer Tesco (OTC:TSCDY) on Nov. 18 offered its workers option to receive up to 25% of their contractual pay early. Tesco had announced a second pay rise for hourly paid staff in October, equating to a nearly 8% rise over the year.

CURRYS

British electricals retailer Currys said on Sept. 30 it had raised hourly pay rates for a third time in 13 months, adding that from Oct. 30 hourly paid staff across the UK would get a minimum rate of 10.35 pounds ($11.66), up 3.5%.

CO-OPERATIVE GROUP

Britain’s Co-operative Group on Sept. 29 said it is looking to give a 5.3% hike to 41,000 of its frontline workers.

CARREFOUR

France’s biggest retailer Carrefour (EPA:CARR) on Sept. 22 offered a 2.5% pay hike from November this year, including a 100 euro extra payment in October.

The offer means an overall 8.3% wage increase when compared to August 2021

JOHN LEWIS

British retailer John Lewis said in September it would pay a one-off cost of living support payment of 500 pounds for full-time employees.

ALDI UK

German-owned discount supermarket group Aldi UK said on July 25 it would pay a minimum of 10.50 pounds and 11.95 pounds in London – rises of 4% and 3.5% respectively – from September.

SAINSBURY’S

Supermarket chain Sainsbury’s said on Sept. 13 it will from Oct. 16 pay workers a minimum of 10.25 pounds, up from 10.00 pounds, and 11.30 pounds in London, up from 11.05 pounds.

That’s equivalent to a pay hike of 7.9% this year for hourly paid workers.

MORRISONS

Supermarket chain Morrisons on June 10 said it would pay a minimum of 10.20 pounds from October, with London workers paid a minimum of 11.05 pounds.

MARKS & SPENCER

Retailer Marks & Spencer (OTC:MAKSY) said on Sept. 21 it would pay a minimum of 10.20 pounds, up from 10.00 pounds, from Oct. 1. It says the annual rise is 7.4%.

LIDL GB

German-owned discount supermarket Lidl GB said on Sept. 22 it will from Oct. 1 pay workers outside of London a minimum of 10.90 pounds an hour, up from 10.10 pounds, and workers in London a minimum of 11.95 pounds, up from 11.30 pounds. It says the annual rise is 10% to 14.5%.

LUXURY GOODS:

French fashion giant LVMH announced a bonus payment for 27,000 of its staff in France on Sept. 29 that would range from 1,000 euros to 1,500 euros.

ENERGY:

TOTALENERGIES

TotalEnergies’ workers are seeking a 10% pay rise starting this year after a surge in energy prices led to huge profits.

On Oct. 9, the company offered to bring forward wage talks due to start in mid-November in a bid to end weeks-long strikes that have disrupted petrol supplies.

BANKS & FINANCIALS:

LLOYDS

Britain’s biggest domestic bank Lloyds (LON:LLOY) offered staff either a 2,000 pound pay rise or a 5% lift in salary – whichever is greater – up to a maximum of 5,000 pounds, according to a notice published by union Unite to its members in early November.

INTESA SANPAOLO

Italy’s biggest bank Intesa Sanpaolo (OTC:ISNPY) in November agreed with unions a further 500-euro one-off payment, the sector’s largest union FABI said on Nov. 22.

MAPFRE

Spanish insurer Mapfre will pay a one-time 400 euro bonus at Christmas to its approximately 10,000 employees in Spain to help them cope with soaring inflation, it said on Nov. 24.

UNICREDIT

Italy’s second-largest lender UniCredit will give its staff in Germany a bonus of 2,500 euros, a copy of an internal memo seen by Reuters, and confirmed by a spokesperson, showed on Nov. 18.

NATIONWIDE BUILDING SOCIETY

British lender Nationwide Building Society said on Aug. 15 it will pay more than 11,000 of its staff 1,200 pounds.

HSBC

British bank HSBC will pay some of its British workforce a one-off payment of 1,500 pounds, a memo seen by Reuters on Aug. 1 said.

OTHERS:

ROYAL MAIL

British post and parcel company, Royal Mail (LON:IDSI) offered 9% pay hike over 18 months to its employees who members of the Communication Workers Union, on Nov. 23, but the union has rejected the offer and is planning several strikes.

COMPASS GROUP    Contract caterer Compass Group (LON:CPG) launched a salary advance scheme and a new grant for employees in Britain, allowing monthly salaried employees the ability to withdraw up to 50% of their earned pay before payday, it said on Nov. 21.

MITIE    Cleaning and property management company Mitie said on Nov. 17 it was offering lower-paid staff a “winter support package”, which entails one-off bonuses, retail discounts, and an option to borrow against future pay.

PRET A  MANGER

Coffee and sandwich chain Pret A  Manger in October said from Dec. 1 all UK employees across shops and its support centre will receive a 5% pay increase, equating to a 13% rise within a year.

A.G. BARR

Soft drink maker A.G. Barr said on Sept. 27 it had offered a 1,000 pound one-off cost-of-living special payment to its employees paid under 45,000 pounds.

SERCO

British outsourcing firm Serco said on Aug. 4 it would hand out an additional 9 million pounds in one-off payments to around 45,000 non-management staff.

($1 = 1.0233 euros)


Source: Economy - investing.com

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