Lidl staff in Peterborough to be among best paid supermarket workers

The supermarket operator Lidl GB has announced plans to become the UK’s highest paying supermarket by increasing the hourly wages for all its store and warehouse workers.

It says entry-level wages will rise from a minimum of £9.50 per hour to a minimum of £10.10 per hour, going up to £11.40.

It says all workers will benefit from the pay rise from next March.

It will mean that Lidl employees will benefit from a minimum of 60p per hour more than the National Living Wage (for over 23s).

The pay hike represents an £18 million investment by the company and comes as Lidl, which has three stores and its regional distribution centre in Peterborough, is recruiting for staff for all stores.

Lidl is also searching for land to build four stores in Peterborough and another four outside the city over the next two years.

The new pay commitment also follows a £200 thank you payment to all front-line workers earlier this year, in recognition of their commitment and dedication throughout the pandemic, as well as a £150 thank you voucher for all employees in 2020.

Christian Härtnagel, Lidl GB’s chief executive, said: “Our frontline colleagues are the backbone of our business.

“They have worked tirelessly over the past 18 months of the Covid-19 crisis and are integral to our future success.

“We have ambitious plans to grow our business across Great Britain, and to do that we need to ensure we attract and look after the best talent at every level of our business.

“This year we feel incredibly lucky to be in a position as a business to go even further by making this significant investment in our incredible workforce, which will make us the best paying supermarket in the UK.”

Nan Gibson, Chief HR Officer, said: “In 2015 we became the first supermarket in the UK to match the rates advocated by the Living Wage Foundation, and we are proud to have consistently increased wages every year since.

“There is no denying how hard our people work, more so than ever during recent times, and we’re delighted to be able to give our store and distribution centre colleagues the recognition they deserve and look forward to welcoming new colleagues to our teams in the months ahead.”

In addition to its competitive pay rates, Lidl’s benefits package includes 10 per cent instore discount, pension scheme and 30-day holiday allowance.

The supermarket operator also offers extensive training programmes, available for in-store and warehouse colleagues with opportunities to progress careers.

With job opportunities currently available in both the warehouse and stores across East Anglia, job seekers can visit Careers.Lidl.co.uk to find out more.

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