Morrisons will shut its supermarkets on Boxing Day for the first time in years as a thank you to staff for their work during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The supermarket told its 111,000 workers on Tuesday that they will all be getting Boxing Day off, along with Christmas Day when Morrisons will shut as usual.
Last year, the likes of Asda, M&S, Aldi and Lidl chose to shut on December 26, but Morrisons, Tesco and Sainsbury's were open on Boxing Day.
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Joanne McGuiness, national officer at shop workers’ union Usdaw, said: “The last year-and-a-half has been unlike any other.
“The pandemic meant shop workers stepped up and kept essential services running. We welcome Morrisons doing the right thing by their staff with the closure of supermarkets on Boxing Day.
“Key workers have done so much this year and we are asking retailers to give their staff the longest possible break over the festive season to provide them with a well-deserved breather. We don’t think this is too much to ask for.”
Morrisons recently concluded a takeover battle that will see the supermarket become a privately owned business, with private equity houses Fortress and Clayton, Dubliner & Rice (CD&R) both making bids.
There have been concerns that staff welfare could drop under new ownership, but both suitors have vowed to maintain standards for employees.
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