Lidl brings in new £13.30 rule - started on May 1
Lidl has introduced a major new pay rule for workers.
Supermarket giant Lidl has increased its entry-level hourly pay in Northern Ireland for the second time in just two months, introducing a new minimum rate of £13.30 from May 1.
The move makes Lidl one of the highest-paying supermarket chains in Northern Ireland, edging ahead of rival Tesco, which recently increased its hourly rate to £13.28. However, despite the latest rise, Lidl workers in Northern Ireland will still earn less than their counterparts in Britain.
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Earlier this year, Lidl increased its starting hourly rate in England, Scotland and Wales to £13.45 from March 1, aligning pay with the rate recommended by the Living Wage Foundation. The voluntary rate is designed to reflect the real cost of living and is paid by around 16,000 employers across the UK.
In Northern Ireland, Lidl had already raised its entry-level wage from £12.40 to £12.80 in March, ahead of the increase in the UK National Living Wage to £12.71 per hour in April. The latest uplift to £13.30 means workers in the region have now received two pay rises in quick succession.
It is understood Lidl’s Northern Ireland operation has instead chosen to align its pay with recommendations from the Irish Living Wage Technical Group, the Republic of Ireland’s equivalent to the Living Wage Foundation. The recommended living wage in the Republic currently stands at €15.40, equivalent to around £13.30 at current exchange rates.
The retailer said the latest increase will deliver average pay rises of between 2% and 5% for staff, taking cumulative wage increases since 2022 to approximately 27.5%.
A spokesperson for Lidl Northern Ireland said: “At £13.30, Lidl Northern Ireland is proud to be the highest paying supermarket in the region, with rates that continue to sit well above the UK National Living Wage, and reflect local market conditions.”
The company also highlighted enhanced rates for unsocial hours, overtime and Sunday work. First-year employees in Northern Ireland can earn £16.63 per hour for night shifts between 11pm and 6am, while overtime and Sunday work pay £19.95 per hour. After three years’ service, those rates rise to £18.50 and £22.20 respectively.
Meanwhile, Lidl staff in Northern Ireland can see their standard hourly rate rise to £14.80 after three years, compared with £14.45 in Britain.
The supermarket chain said its wider “Total Rewards” package, including pension contributions, private healthcare and insurance benefits, is worth an average of £930 per employee annually.
Lidl currently employs staff across 44 stores in Northern Ireland alongside its distribution hub at Nutts Corner, and says it is recruiting for around 150 new roles across the region.
