"Pret a Manger staff consider strike after temporary pay cuts made permanent", 12 August 2021

Pret a Manger staff are considering strike action after the coffee shop chain told them it was permanently cutting pay despite the easing of trading restrictions.

The workers...were told they would temporarily not be paid for breaks and a service bonus would be ditched in July last year after the pandemic hit.

Pret has now told workers that the cut to pay for breaks is permanent. The service bonus, linked to performance judged by a mystery shopper, was reintroduced in April this year at 50p an hour, down from £1 before the pandemic hit. Workers have been told that change is also permanent.

One worker told the Guardian they had been moved to organise a strike next month as pay was becoming worse just as the work was becoming harder, partly as a result of a subscription service introduced a year ago that enables members to get up to five coffees a day for a monthly £20 fee...

A Pret spokesperson said: “The business is still trading significantly below pre-pandemic levels, but we continue to review our benefits. This is in no way a reflection of the hard work of our teams, and we’re incredibly grateful for their dedication and commitment. It’s important to us that we always communicate openly and honestly with our team members, which we’ll continue to do over the coming months.”