Lidl might be claiming the title of “Britain’s best paying supermarket” but will its workers actually be better off with the latest inflation figure jumping to a painful 4.2 per cent?
The answer is yes, at least for some. The discount grocer says it is “investing” £18m in wages, which means a 6 per cent rise for some, specifically entry-level workers outside the capital.
They’ll see their hourly rate moving up from £9.50 to £10.10. They will thus be better off after adjusting for inflation. But will they still be better off after taking into account the government’s national insurance hike? I asked the TUC to run the numbers for me with the aim of finding out what a worker would need to beat both. The result? A Briton on the median average wage of £26,000 requires roughly 5 per cent.
A worker on the bottom rung of Lidl’s ladder will clear that hurdle, and with something to spare. Actually they’d need a bit less than 5 per cent because of the point at which NI kicks in. But we don’t need to get too technical.
This story is from the November 18, 2021 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November 18, 2021 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Gaza aid is 'choked off' as Israel seizes Rafah crossing
‘Fire of hell’ rains down on civilians scrambling to evacuate
Thomas plans to finish in the pink at the Giro d'Italia
The message from Geraint Thomas expressed the sentiment shared by the rest of the peloton.
Cracks had begun to appear for Moyes after Prague high
David Moyes will always have Prague. A quarter of a century into his managerial career, the Scot dad danced in the dressing room to the Proclaimers after winning his first major trophy and West Ham’s first piece of silverware for 43 years.
Dortmund reach Wembley as 'yellow wall' holds firm
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
Tech firms must keep toxic content away from children
Ofcom orders changes to aggressive’ social media algorithms
CHUNNEL VISION
In its 30 years of operations, the tunnel connecting the UK to mainland Europe has been superseded by cheap air travel. However, Simon Calder says there are ways it can improve
It's vital that Russians know we could send in UK troops
David Cameron has given the strongest confirmation yet that Ukraine is free to use weapons supplied by Britain to strike into Russia.
German kebab prices could be capped in 'donerflation'
German politicians are calling for a price cap on the doner kebab, with chancellor Olaf Scholz admitting that the question of donerflation” is one he gets asked wherever I go”.
Adult star testifies Trump likened her to his daughter
Before they had sex in a hotel room in 2006, Donald Trump told Stormy Daniels that she reminded him of his daughter Ivanka Trump, according to testimony from the adult film star during the former president’s hush money trial in New York yesterday.
Putin plot to kidnap and kill Zelensky foiled, says Kyiv
Ukrainian intelligence agents say they have foiled a Russian plot to assassinate Volodymyr Zelensky.
