A UNION has hit out at Lidl for running a competition for a self-checkout voice in Scottish stores rather than hiring a “trained voice over artist”.
Equity, a trade union for performing artists in the entertainment industry – which recently led a campaign to save River City – has criticised the retailer for inviting Scots to submit recordings of themselves reciting familiar phrases from the bagging area.
A panel of Lidl judges will review the entries, with the winning voice set to become the official sound of Lidl’s Scottish self-checkouts. An investment of almost £3 million will bring the voice to self-service tills across all Lidl stores in Scotland.
Lidl’s audition booth is currently on a tour of Scotland, popping up in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness.
However, Equity accused Lidl of reducing “skilled work to a competition,” and have called upon the supermarket to remove the competition and change it to “an advert for a properly paid job for a performer”.
Scot Squad actor Kenny Boyle (above), also known for his roles in Lost at Christmas, and Dear Mama, shared an email from Equity on his social media, writing: “Our jobs aren’t prizes @lidlgb.”
In the email, Equity wrote: “This week, Lid announced they were looking for someone to become the voice of their self-check-out tills across Scotland. Rather than paying for a local, trained voice over artist to do this work, Lid instead have reduced this skilled work to a competition.
“The 'winner' of the competition would receive £500 in Lid vouchers and also become a prominent voice in Lid supermarkets across Scotland.
“Equity has received a number of complaints from, justifiably, furious members whose craft, trade and skill have been reduced to a competition for the wider public. This competition represents the erasure of what should be a well-paid form of regular income for a performer, amounting to tens of thousands of pounds in income if paid properly and licensed fairly."
The email also told members that union leaders have invited Lidl bosses to meet to discuss the “wider implications of this competition” and share what they believe rates for the work should be.
The group added: “Please don't support this exploitative ‘competition’.”
Lidl has been contacted for comment.
