LONDON, May 10 Reuters The British arm of German supermarket group Lidl said it would lift wages by over 3 in June, giving thousands of workers a third pay rise in 12 months.

Lidl said on Friday it would raise pay for staff across Britain to 12.40 pounds per hour from 12 pounds per hour, while Londonbased staff would receive 13.65 pounds per hour, up from 13.55.

Pay rises at big employers like Lidl, which employs 32,000 people across Britain, are closely watched by the Bank of England, which said on Thursday it remains on guard because of stillstrong growth in wages which add to inflationary pressure.

John Lewis and Coop in March announced pay rises of 10 after the government raised the national living wage to 11.44 pounds an hour.

Lidl, part of Germany39;s Schwarz retail group which is Britain39;s the sixth biggest supermarket chain with an 8 share, said its latest increase would mean its staff continue to receive industryleading pay.

Reporting by Sarah Young; editing by William James

Source Reuters