SUPERMARKET GIANT Tesco announced today it will pay workers a record bonus after its annual profits soared to £3.4 billion.

More than 216,000 Tesco staff – from checkout operators to drivers and managers – will share a £105 million bonus pot. This year’s payout comes on top of £24 million of pay and bonuses for executive management.

That included £5.2 million in salary, bonus and shares for chief executive Sir Terry Leahy.

Non-executive chairman David Reid said: “We’ve had Tesco’s best ever year in a really challenging economic climate and that success is down to the hard work and skill of the whole Tesco team.

“At home and abroad, they’ve helped build a great business by doing what we do best, delivering for customers.”

Mr Reid added: “I am delighted that once again all staff are sharing in this success.”

Shares

The payout follows profit growth of 10 per cent to £3.5 billion in the year to February.

Employees who have worked with Tesco for at least a year will receive the equivalent of 3.6 per cent of their salary in shares, up to a maximum of £3,000-worth.

Staff will be able to sell the shares tax-free in five years’ time, under the supermarket’s “Shares In Success” scheme.

Tesco added that 75,500 staff who have held shares in the scheme since 2005 are now eligible to sell the £39 million-worth of shares they were awarded five years ago tax-free.

This year Tesco, which recently announced that it had withdrawn its plans to increase the amount of space that it uses for non-food products at its Shrewsbury superstore, increased its dividend for company shareholders for the 26th consecutive year.

Alongside the annual report, Tesco has published its latest Corporate Responsibility Report.

The company announced plans to become a zero-carbon business by 2050.

The supermarket will open the world’s first zero-carbon store in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire.

The firm aims to grow sales of local produce by more than 20 per cent in the UK.

It is on track to reach £1 billion this year.