THE Mercadona supermarket chain is set to give its entire workforce a 5% pay rise on January 1.
Spain’s biggest private company is the first major firm to guarantee its staff of 93,000 can keep up with rising inflation rates.
Company sources told the Expansion newspaper this Thursday the rise will be based on the Consumer Price Index.
Inflation for November stood at 5.6%, the highest level since September 1992 due to price rises for power and food.
The Valencian-founded supermarket has a reputation for good staff relations and treatment.
All employees are taken on a fixed contract and bonuses were paid for their efforts during the COVID pandemic.
A Mercadona source told Expansion: “As of today we cannot guarantee that the CPI increase will be 5% at the end of the year.”
“What we can say is that Mercadona, as it has always done, is going to increase the salary of its workers according to the accumulated CPI. at the end of the year.”
“It is our responsibility as a socially responsible company to continue applying initiatives to satisfy the people who make up our staff,” the source added.
Mercadona recorded profits of €727 million for 2020, a 17% rise on the previous year.
READ MORE:-