Starting April 1, booksellers working for the U.K. bookstore chain Waterstones will receive a 6.2% raise, the Bookseller reported.
While the raise coincides with a 6.2% increase in the U.K.'s national living wage--from £8.21 to £8.72, or about $10.60 to $11.25--Waterstones will be giving a 6.2% raise to all of its booksellers, even those who already make more than the national living wage. Waterstones has four broad bookselling bands--bookseller, senior bookseller, lead bookseller and expert bookseller--and employees in all of those categories are up for the raise.
"Once again, we have chosen to reward all bookselling bands rather than simply to raise the minimum, so that our most experienced booksellers benefit as much as a new starter," Waterstones COO Kate Skipper wrote in a letter to staff. "Salaries for bookshop managers and support roles will be reviewed in the autumn, following the same performance review cycle as this year. To take another step forward towards our goal to deliver rewarding bookselling careers is pleasing, particularly in such a hostile economic environment and we do so with thanks to you all."
After recording a profit last year of £22.7 million (about $29.3 million), Waterstones has come under pressure from living wage campaigners to pay its booksellers higher wages. Just this week, campaigners sent nearly 1,000 e-mails to managing director James Daunt directly about raising the company's wages.
Last April, Waterstones booksellers received a 4.85% raise, along with a 4% bonus paid in 2019. In 2018 and 2017, the company's booksellers received raises of 4.4% and 4.17%, respectively.