Grocers Loblaw and Metro ending wage premium due to pandemic for workers

 

TORONTO -- Two of Canada's largest grocers are ending wage premiums they have been paying employees due to the pandemic.

Loblaw Companies Ltd. and Metro Inc. have been paying front-line employees an additional $2 per hour since mid-March when the restrictions due to COVID-19 were first put in place.

In a letter to customers, Loblaw executive chairman Galen Weston says that things have now stabilized at the company's supermarkets and drug stores.

Both Loblaw and Metro say they will end their temporary wage premiums on Saturday.

Loblaw says it will also pay a total of $25 million in one-time bonuses to employees, based on their average hours worked over the last 14 weeks.

Metro says it will pay an additional one-time bonus of $200 to each of its full-time employees and $100 to each of its part-time workers.