The discount supermarket Lidl announced the increase following high sales figures for the last year. They said all Lidl UK employees would receive a minimum of £8.20 an hour in England, Scotland and Wales and £9.35 an hour in London.
Ben Reynolds, Sustain's Deputy Coordinator commented on the development: 'This development sends out a clear signal not just to other supermarkets, but to the whole food industry about the importance of paying staff a decent wage. With many in work accessing food banks, including some supermarket employees, increasing the pay for those struggling is the surest way of helping alleviate food poverty.'
Note to editors: Lidl has adopted a Living Wage policy, in line with the approach of the Living Wage Foundation. The Living Wage is an hourly rate of pay calculated in relation to the cost of living, an approach that Sustain supports in our work on food poverty, including championing policies to ensure that people living on a low income can eat well and enjoy the benefits of healthier food. This is not the same as the so-called 'Living Wage' announced by Chancellor George Osborne in the 2015 Budget, which is calculated in relation to what the market can bear, and should therefore be better described as a "Minimum Wage".
See also Sustain's work on food poverty.
Sustain: Sustain The alliance for better food and farming advocates food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, enrich society and culture and promote equity.
