Lidl has made another investment into pay, which will see its 26,000 hourly-paid workers receive the highest rates of pay in the sector, it claimed.
The grocer has invested £37m in pay, which also includes increases for salaried colleagues across the business.
From 1 March, entry-level roles at the discount supermarket will be 17% higher than the new National Minimum Wage being introduced in April.
Colleagues outside the M25 will see pay per hour raised from £11.40 to £12.00, rising to £13.00 with length of service. The changes will be implemented in March.
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Staff within the M25 will see their pay rates rise from £12.85 to £13.55, increasing to £13.85 over time.
Other new pay increases include a new bank holiday premium of £2.00 per hour and an enhanced nightshift premium of £3.50, and extending the timeframe by an hour.
Lidl CEO Ryan McDonnell said: “Customers are switching to Lidl from every other supermarket, and it’s our colleagues’ commitment and performance that is making this happen.
“It’s only right, therefore, that we thank them for their incredible work and reward them for their efforts. Investing in our people is vital as we set our sights further on increasing our market share and bringing our high quality, great value products to even more households.”
Lidl chief human resources officer Stephanie Rogers added: “Offering competitive pay and being a great place to work for our colleagues is crucial to our success.
“This has always been central to our strategy, ever since opening our doors almost 30 years ago. I’m pleased that we are continuing to hold ourselves to our high standards and to reward colleagues with the highest rates of pay in the sector.”
The pay investment follows record trading for the discounter over the Christmas period, with Lidl’s sales growing over 12% year on year in the four weeks ending 2 December.
