San Francisco, May 26 (IANS): Alarmed at unionisation efforts at its own retail stores, Apple is reportedly increasing the hourly salary of its retail and corporate employees.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple is increasing the hourly rate for retail workers from $20 to $22 per hour and some regions will start higher.

The tech giant is also increasing starting salaries amid rising inflation, a tight labour market and unionisation pushes, the report mentioned.

The iPhone maker told employees in an email that the company is increasing its overall compensation budget.

"Supporting and retaining the best team members in the world enables us to deliver the best, most innovative, products and services for our customers," an Apple spokesman said in a statement to WSJ.

"This year as part of our annual performance review process, we're increasing our overall compensation budget."

Earlier reports said that the tech giant's vice president of people and retail, Deirdre O'Brien, was trying to dissuade retail workers from joining a union.

Three of Apple's own stores -- one each in New York, Maryland, and Georgia in the US -- are planning to form a union.

While the Apple store in Georgia will vote starting June 2, Apple's retail store in Maryland will vote starting June 15 to form a union.

To date, no Apple store has successfully formed a union.

Apple recently hiked benefits for both part-time and full-time retail employees.