Starbucks to raise wages for UK employees: FT

[LONDON] Starbucks Corp, the world's biggest coffee chain, promised to raise the average wage for its UK staff to just under 8 pounds (S$17.4) an hour from November regardless of age, the Financial Times reported.

Starbucks will also offer interest free loans to help staff pay deposits on their housing, the Financial Times reported. British Finance minister George Osborne had made a surprise announcement in July that a new compulsory National Living Wage for workers aged over 25 would be introduced in April. The new wage rate would be set at 7.20 pounds an hour.

Starbucks's announcement comes a week after German-owned discount supermarket Lidl said it would increase pay for thousands of its staff in Britain by at least 12 per cent.

Starbucks could not immediately be reached for comment.

REUTERS