Living wage campaigners claim progress after vote at Sainsbury’s AGM

Security guards at a Sainsbury’s store. ShareAction wants the living wage to be paid to all workers, whether directly or indirectly employed. Photograph: Frantzesco Kangaris/The Guardian

Campaigners pushing for Britain’s biggest employers to pay their staff the real living wage claim to have sent a powerful message after almost a sixth of shareholders at Sainsbury’s voted in favour of a resolution that would have introduced the policy at the country’s second largest supermarket group.

ShareAction, which gained support from investment houses including Legal & General Investment Management, HSBC, Fidelity International and Coutts, the Queen’s bank, for the resolution, said it was pleased with the outcome despite falling far short of the 75% backing required to pass the resolution at the Sainsbury’s annual meeting on Thursday.