B&Q and Screwfix staff to get pay rise as DIY boom continues

Demand for energy-saving kit and the shift to working from home are driving sales, says Kingfisher boss

The owner of B&Q and Screwfix is handing workers a pay rise as the company's boss forecast that demand for energy-saving kit and the shift to working from home would keep fuelling the DIY boom.

Pay for B&Q workers will increase by 6.5% to 9.80 an hour while Screwfix is increasing minimum staff pay by 5.4% to 9.70 an hour from 1 April, putting both chains just ahead of the new legal minimum of 9.50 which starts next month.