Debbie Robinson, the Central Co-op CEO and European Vice President of Euro Co-ops, has rejected talk of “levelling up” and said what the north needs is to get its fair share back, as well as fairness for front line workers.
She said: “When I hear that the Bank of England is worried that an increase in the minimum wage is going to impact inflation it’s just ridiculous, so the pay thing is crucial. It’s got to be significantly higher than where it is today.”
Debbie was speaking at the latest in the series of Elevenses interviews, launched by Paul Sewell at the 2021 edition of Humber Business Week. During the interview, which is available to watch in full on the Humber Business Week website, Burnley-born Debbie demonstrated how her career decisions have been influenced by her childhood and her role as a mother and grandmother.
She also underlined the values of fairness which inspired the Co-op even before its formal launch in 1863 and which are still at the heart of an organisation employing over 7,500 people across 21 counties.
She said: “I think people are a bit fed up at the moment. When you’ve got your nurses and your doctors and your rail strikes going on it’s a strong indication that people have had enough.
“Something I really believe in is pay and entry-level workers, and we just need to pay people a bit more money to help them through. Central Co-op is trying to lead the way on finding ways that we can improve the terms and conditions for all of our colleagues.
“You should be able to earn the money to buy your own food. I don’t think anybody down the food chain should be supplementing it for anybody else. If somebody isn’t being paid enough to put food on your table how are they going to be able to afford food? Surely people deserve to earn enough money to be able to buy their own food, heat their own homes and have a decent life? Make work pay!”
Debbie added that she sees young people as particularly hard hit by the cost of living crisis. “The idea behind the Co-op was that people were working really, really hard and they couldn’t get by. Does it sound familiar? Here we are in 2023. Working was not enough to pay for your food and your housing.
“My heart bleeds for young people. It might have been difficult in terms of unemployment in the 70s and the 80s, and it really was, but the challenges now are absolutely immense.”
Debbie also demanded fair treatment for workers from their customers, revealing that her biggest fear is for the welfare of her team.
She said: “Now times are really hard financially and the levels of abuse that people are facing in that environment are really shocking. I think of what people have to face every single day. Everybody has a right to go to work and return home safely.”
