Supermarket wars escalate at the petrol pumps
The supermarkets are battling it out again, this time not on the cost of basic goods, but on the forecourt.
Asda and Morrisons are both cutting the price of fuel and diesel by £1 per tank from today, according to The Telegraph.
The cut comes after four months of petrol price increases, and supermarkets Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Tesco are expected to follow with similar cuts.
Morrisons’ services director, Roger Fogg, said: “We will always aim to drop prices as soon as we can and always keep them far below the UK average.”
At the same time, the BBC reports that Asda is introducing higher wages for staff in exchange for unpaid breaks and Bank Holiday working, paying workers £8.50 an hour, well above the £7.50 National Living Wage rate due to come into force in April.
It insisted that the flexible contracts it is introducing are not ‘zero hour’ contracts.
GMB general secretary, Tim Roache, said: “These new flexible contracts will help to ensure job security, ensure those accepting them are on the same terms and – best of all – ensure that people will earn more money as a result.
“The new contract offer involves quite a few changes, but as it’s voluntary, this allows colleagues to choose whatever suits their circumstances best.”
