A quiet recalibration at BP’s petrol forecourts is raising serious questions for UK workers about what a pay rise really means when long-standing benefits are removed at the same time. Around 5,400 workers employed across BP’s 310 company-owned retail sites are being told that paid rest breaks and most bank holiday premium payments will be scrapped, just as hourly pay is set to rise in line with the independent living wage.
From February, affected workers will see their base hourly rate increase from £12.60 to at least £13.45, a rise of 6.7%. On paper, this appears to be a positive move, particularly during a period when household costs remain stubbornly high. But for many working on BP forecourts, the reality may feel very different.
Sources close to the situation suggest the changes amount to a stealth reduction in overall earnings, especially for staff who regularly rely on paid breaks and enhanced rates for working bank holidays to make ends meet. One insider described the approach as deeply concerning, arguing that BP is “framing the announced increase to the real living wage, which they are committed to implementing, as a new benefit, when in reality this uplift has been delivered every year since 2020”.
According to the same source, paid breaks and bank holiday premiums were written into customer service assistants’ contracts, raising further questions about how the changes are being introduced. There is concern that some workers may be encouraged to agree to revised contract terms without fully understanding that they have the right to disagree, and without being offered compensation or any incentive to consent.
This matters because for many UK workers in forecourt retail, margins are already tight. Paid rest breaks can make a meaningful difference over a working week, particularly for those on longer shifts. Bank holiday premiums, meanwhile, have traditionally recognised the disruption of working on days when much of the country is off. Removing these elements risks flattening pay in real terms, even as the headline hourly rate rises.
BP has defended the move, saying it regularly reviews pay and benefits to remain fair and competitive, including benchmarking against the wider UK retail industry. A spokesperson confirmed that from February, the company will no longer pay for rest breaks and will pay premium rates on fewer national bank holidays. In parallel, BP says it will increase base hourly pay and bring in the annual uplift two months earlier than usual, in early February 2026, to help support colleagues.
Set against the wider economic backdrop, the timing is difficult. Many UK workers continue to feel the effects of higher food prices, energy bills, and housing costs. For those on modest hourly rates, the removal of benefits that deliver guaranteed, predictable income can be more damaging than it first appears.
There is also a broader issue of transparency. When pay structures change, clarity is crucial. Workers need to understand not just the headline rate, but how changes to their employment contract affect their total take-home pay over a month and a year. Without that clarity, trust erodes, and uncertainty grows on the shop floor.
At The Workers Union, the focus remains firmly on ensuring UK workers are informed, supported, and able to make sense of complex workplace changes that directly affect their livelihoods. Situations like this underline why clear communication and fair treatment matter, particularly in customer-facing roles that keep essential services running every day of the year.
What happens next will depend on how these changes are implemented in practice, and whether workers feel their concerns are genuinely heard. A pay rise that arrives alongside the removal of contractual benefits is always going to be scrutinised closely, especially at a time when every pound counts.
For BP’s forecourt workers, February’s payslip will be the real test of whether this restructuring delivers genuine improvement, or whether it leaves them worse off despite the higher hourly rate.
