Manchester United will inform their non-playing staff that they will still be paid 100% of their wages, rejecting the opportunity to use the government's furlough scheme to cover the costs.
The likes of Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have come under fire for signing their staff up to the scheme, which sees the UK government cover 80% of the wages of workers who have been affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
Jurgen Klopp showed compassion for all at the start of this pandemic, senior players heavily involved in @premierleague players taking wage cuts. Then all that respect & goodwill is lost, poor this @LFC https://t.co/9bE8Rw1veE
— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) April 4, 2020
United have made no official comment on the situation, but the Daily Mail state that club officials will soon inform their 900 non-playing staff members that their salaries are safe during this period of uncertainty.
The club, who have already pledged to pay all matchday staff during football's suspension, are said to also be exploring ways for their staff to volunteer in the local community.
Both Liverpool and Spurs have faced intense criticism for choosing to rely on the government to pay their staff despite being two of the most financially successful clubs around, so fans will be relieved to see United take a different stance.
Many Premier League players are thought to have concerns that club owners are more bothered about preserving their own wealth during this uncertainty, rather than ensuring that non-playing staff continue to take home their wages.
Calls from the government for players to agree to wage cuts of 30% have been challenged by the PFA, who pointed out that such a proposal would see the government miss out on around £200m in tax.
Players are happy to donate some of their own money to the cause, but they want to ensure that all the money goes towards either funding the NHS or ensuring non-playing staff are paid fully during football's suspension.
"They're the real heroes right now."
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) April 1, 2020
The boss pays tribute to all the amazing health workers around the world in part two of our United Hangout
And he also had a special message for #MUFC fans ❤️ pic.twitter.com/nAPMdmvcKd
Elsewhere, Manchester City have also agreed to pay the entirety of their staff's salaries, with
"We can confirm that Manchester City will not be utilising the Government's Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme," a spokesperson revealed.
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Source: 90min
