Letter: Checkout hours

Sir: You printed an open letter to David Sainsbury, as the second richest man in Britain, (4 August) about hours worked by cashiers.

On Friday, while checking out at a local branch of Sainsbury's, I asked the cashier how long she had been at the till. It was 3.30pm, and she had been there since 12.30pm and still had time to go. She thanked me for the interest I was showing, and seemed very grateful. The next day, when in Marks & Spencer, I asked the cashier how long she was on till duty and was told not more than an hour at a time.

It would be interesting to compare the pay structures of the two firms for this employment.

Yours sincerely,

DEBORAH HONORE

Oxford

7 August