Lidl has announced a 6% pay increase for its workers across the island of Ireland.
The retailer said the pay hike, which came into effect on March 1, will be worth on average, £1,300 per year for employees in Northern Ireland.
It’s understood the basic hourly starter rate has increased from £10.90 to £11.60 per hour.
Lidl also pays a premium rate for ‘unsocial’ hours and overtime, which includes Sunday shifts.
The German discounter is the latest supermarket to act ahead of the imminent introduction of the UK’s new national minimum wage, which comes into effect on April 1 2024.
It will see the current rate lifted by around 10% from £10.42 per hour to £11.44.
Asda announced on Friday that its basic pay for retail workers will rise from £10.42 to £11.44 on April 1 and then increase again to £12.04 per hour from July 1.
Lidl said its northern employees had benefited from a 13.5% increase in pay since February 2023.
The grocer employs around 1,300 people across its Northern Ireland operation, which includes 41 stores and a regional distribution centre at Nutts Corner.
It said the latest increase represents an investment of around £3m in its northern workforce.
Maeve McCleane, chief people officer at Lidl on the island said: “Navigating the changing face of retail against the backdrop of rising cost-of-living, climate crisis and the impact of global geo-political events has been no easy feat, which is why now more than ever it is vital for us to continue to prioritise our people – an investment we will never compromise on.”
