Lidl pay rise will not apply to Northern Ireland staff

Lidl has 38 stores in Northern Ireland

A pay rise for staff at the Lidl supermarket chain will not apply in Northern Ireland.

From October, the firm will implement the minimum wage as recommended by the Living Wage Foundation.

That will be a minimum of £8.20 an hour across England, Scotland and Wales, and £9.35 an hour in London.

Lidl in Northern Ireland said it had increased wages in August "in line with the proposed living wage for Northern Ireland".

However, it has not yet disclosed the minimum rate it pays in Northern Ireland.

On Friday, Lidl announced that it would become the first UK supermarket to implement the living wage.

The Living Wage is different from the National Living Wage as set out in the last budget.

It is an hourly rate that is assessed as giving workers a basic standard of living.

In Northern Ireland it is £7.85 an hour, compared to the statutory minimum wage of £6.50 an hour.

The firm said store assistants working in Lidl NI earn "up to £8.60 per hour".

It added that it would "continue to monitor all discussions and proposals in relation to the living wage in Northern Ireland and will review and update accordingly".

Lidl has 38 stores in Northern Ireland.