Morrisons is only a year late
Management at Morrisons has told their staff that they do not have to work Boxing Day this year as a thank you for their continued work during the pandemic. This will be the first time ever that the store has shut its doors on Boxing Day.
Last year, the likes of Asda, Marks & Spencer, Pets At Home, Aldi, Lidl and The Entertainer all said they would remain shut on December 26, despite having remained open during past Christmas periods.
Other supermarkets like Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, and Tesco did not give their staff the day off.
“The last year-and-a-half has been unlike any other,” said Joanne McGuiness, national officer at shop workers’ union Usdaw.
“The pandemic meant shop workers stepped up and kept essential services running. We welcome Morrisons doing the right thing by their staff with the closure of supermarkets on Boxing Day.
@Morrisons I have just seen on the news,that you are letting your staff not work on boxing day,because they have been working during the pandemic.This is an insult,as they should at least be given a wage rise,and extended holidays,as they are still putting their live on the line
— Lorna Mckain (@lorna_mckain) August 11, 2021
“Key workers have done so much this year and we are asking retailers to give their staff the longest possible break over the festive season to provide them with a well-deserved breather. We don’t think this is too much to ask for.”
The Yorkshire Evening Post has said concerns have grown over the past few months due to Morrison’s becoming a privately owned business. Both of the private companies to bid for the supermarket chain houses Fortress and Clayton, Dubliner & Rice, have ensured that the quality of staff welfare will not drop.
“All shops should shut on Boxing Day. No one needs to go shopping the day after Christmas,” writes Roch on Twitter. While Caroline writes: “Good. We can all survive without supermarkets being open on Boxing Day.”
