Where's my money?
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Pay settlements across the distribution industry fell back again during 2012 and remain below those in most other sectors, according to the latest data Words: Justin Stanton FIGURES FROM the XpertHR Distribution Staff Salary Survey show that the median pay rise for transport workers during 2012 was 2% - down from 2.2% in 2011.
The survey shows a wide spread of pay settlements, with some seeing their pay frozen, while the highest recorded settlement was 4%.
The survey is based on the anonymised payroll data of 99,203 staff employed by 53 firms, including some of the UK's largest operators, supermarkets and other retailers. Participants include Amazon, Asda, Ceva, Tesco, Waitrose and Wincanton. Secure document shredding specialist Iron Mountain and Royal Mail also took part. The bulk of the report consists of data tables, showing salary levels for employees at different levels of seniority, in different roles and locations.
The survey sample as a whole reveals that the average basic salary of an RDC manager now stands at £76,487 But there is a wide spread of salaries at this level, with one-infour paid less than £68,772 a year, while a further one-in-four are paid more than £82,569. Two-thirds of RDC managers also receive bonuses; the average figure for basic salary plus bonus is £86,102.
Further down the career ladder, the survey reveals hourly rates, ranging from an average of £7.72 for the lowest grade warehouse assistants to £12.11 for supervisors. However, such roles attract higher pay for Saturday and Sunday working and bank holidays, as well as shift premiums.
In addition to the very low pay increases over the past year, employees have had to contend with high levels of inflation. Measured using the Retail Price Index, inflation fell during 2012 and now stands at 2.6%.
XpertHR head of salary surveys Mark Crail says: "Pay rises in the distribution sector dipped lower and have now stayed low for longer than in other areas of the economy. This means that many staff are now really feeling the pain of rising prices. In real terms, people are much worse off than they were four years ago at the start of the downturn."
Forecasts for 2013 suggest that the gap between rising pay and prices will continue to narrow as inflation comes under control, and the effects of large increases in the cost of fuel work their way through the system. • • For more on the XpertHR Dis- tribution Staff Salary Survey, go to www.xperthr. co. uk Pay analysis Inner/outer London Qualified driver 2012 2011 £12.78/hr £11.32/hr Team leader 2012 2011 £13.02/hr £12.56/hr Section head 2012 2011 £32,071 £31,808 RDC Manager 2012 2011 £75,772 £75,222 South East £12.57/hr £11.05/hr £11.47/hr £11.45/hr £33,829 £33,797 £82,507 N/a South West £11.32/hr £9.78/hr £14.03/hr £13.14/hr £31,365 £34,151 £73,701 N/a East Anglia £10.15/hr £9.83/hr £11.98/hr £11.45/hr £32,652 £30,516 £78,441 £75,276 Midlands £11.55/hr £10.38/hr £13.09/hr £12.95/hr £32,074 £31,273 £72,995 £72,707 North West £11.53/hr £9.94/hr £13.36/hr £12.55/hr £31,098 £31,975 £79,146 £75,272 North & North East £11.66/hr £9.67/hr £13.01/hr £12.67/hr £30,968 £31,497 £80,824 £73,238 Scotland £11.49/hr £10.18/hr £12.87/hr £12.36/hr £31,296 £30,480 £78,358 £82,886 Northern Ireland £11.80/hr £10.02/hr N/a N/a £30,768 £31,144 N/a N/a Wales £11.98/hr £10.62/hr £12.45/hr £12.26/hr £33,736 £33,245 N/a N/a Average basic pay £11.02/hr £10.48/hr £13.91/hr £13.26/hr £31,853 £31,586 £76,487 £75,173 Source: XpertHR Distribuffon Staff Salary Survey 2012/2013. Note: year-on-year comparisons based on different sample compositions; qualified driver and team leader hourly rates not comparable from 2011 to 2012 due to change in methodology