Thousands of Morrisons workers were celebrating a windfall today as the firm announced a record profit share figure of £9.9 million.

The cash will be shared between 22,000 of their 30,000 employees - which works out as about £455 or two weeks extra pay. The figure is ten per cent higher than last year.

The extra cash has been awarded on the back of increases in turnover and profits announced last month.

The firm saw its turnover rise 17.2 per cent to £3 billion and pre-tax profits reach £189.2 million.

But the company warned that it's looking at additional ways of rewarding staff next year because there will be no tax relief on profit share cash.

A statement from the firm said: "The company is currently exploring other avenues likely to offer its employees further opportunity to share in the chain's success." But a spokeswoman was unable to spell out what steps the firm had in mind.

The firm's chairman Sir Ken Morrison said he was disappointed that tax relief on profit-related pay had been removed.

But he was full of praise for the growing firm's staff, saying: "This is a much-deserved reward for a terrific contribution to the company's continuing success.

"Collectively, we have achieved takings of £3 billion for the first time and, as a direct result of this exceptional performance, the profit share pool has reached another record amount."

This year is the 22nd anniversary of the company's profit share scheme. The cash is awarded to all employees who have worked for a full financial year and are still employed in April of the year in question.

email: paul.parker

@bradford.newsquest.co.uk

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.