Lidl to invest £10m to increase hourly wage rates of staff

THE SUPERMARKET chain Lidl GB has announced that it will invest more than £10m in its employees, through increases to its hourly wages.

The supermarket, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this month, will increase entry-level pay from £9.00 to £9.30 per hour outside of London and £10.55 to £10.75 within the M25, going up to £11.70, depending on location and length of service.

A spokesman said: “The move, which will directly benefit more than 19,000 Lidl employees, forms part of Lidl

GB’s ongoing commitment to supporting its employees both inside and outside of the workplace, and represents a wage increase of over 30 per cent across the past five years.”

As a result of the increase, Lidl employees will benefit from pay that is between 13-30 per cent higher than the Government’s current ‘National Living Wage’.

Christian Härtnagel, inset, CEO at Lidl GB, said: “During this time of such uncertainty, we feel fortunate to be able to make this investment in our colleagues, and give them peace of mind with regards to their salary. Our hourly paid employees represent over 80 per cent of our entire workforce, and are the absolute backbone of our business.”

He added: “It is because of them that we continue to be the fastest growing supermarket, and are able to realise our ambitious expansion plans.

“This move is, therefore, testament to the unwavering commitment that each and every one of them puts into their work on a daily basis.”

The new wages, which will come into effect from the supermarket’s new financial year in March 2020, align with the rates advocated by the Living Wage Foundation to reflect the true cost of living.

Lidl GB recently announced a £15bn investment in British food, farming and production over the next five years.

It currently has 770 stores across the UK and this month confirmed a target of 1,000 stores by the end of 2023, creating jobs with every store opening.

In June, the discounter also announced a £500m investment in London over the next five years.