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Lidl pay 'u-turn' a 'significant victory'

Lidl had been criticised last month for only offering the pay rise to staff in England, Scotland and Wales
Lidl had been criticised last month for only offering the pay rise to staff in England, Scotland and Wales Lidl had been criticised last month for only offering the pay rise to staff in England, Scotland and Wales

A DECISION by a supermarket chain to do a u-turn on its decision not extend its `living wage’ plan to staff in Northern Ireland has been described as a "very significant victory".

Lidl had been criticised last month for only offering the pay rise to staff in England, Scotland and Wales prompting threats of pickets outside its Northern Ireland stores to demand parity.

The increase will bring about wage hikes for a fifth of Lidl's 3,800 staff in the Republic and almost one third of its 700 Northern Ireland staff.

Unite said the move demonstrated the power of workers as it called off protests planned in Belfast and Derry.

The workers' union also called on other retailers to also adopt the living wage.

Susan Fitzgerald, Unite Regional Officer, described the u-turn as a "very significant victory for Lidl workers, our members and Unite".

"It is clear that Lidl had no intention of paying Northern Ireland workers the same as those in England, Scotland and Wales," she said.

"This victory has been won by workers joining Unite and getting organised as well as the strength of the wider solidarity expressed behind our #LidlFairPay campaign”.

Ms Fitzgerald said the decision put other retail chains "on notice" that they also need to introduce the Living Wage.

As well as calling off protests Unite said it would also "withdraw from initiating a legal challenge over pay discrimination".