Aldi hikes staff pay for second time this year

The discounter said all store assistants will receive a 40p per hour increase in their pay to a minimum of £10.50 per hour across the UK, and £11.95 within the M25, from September.

Around 26,000 store staff will benefit from the pay increase.

The new rates outstrip the Living Wage Foundation’s recommended real living wage of £9.90 an hour nationally and £11.05 for those working inside the M25.

The fresh wage hike takes Aldi’s investment into pay to £43m this year alone as grocery retailers grapple to attract staff.

Sainsbury’s, which has faced shareholder pressure to become an accredited living wage employer, increased its basic rate of pay from £9.50 to £10 an hour back in March, and upped pay within the M25 to £10.50 an hour.

The following month, Tesco invested in its biggest pay hike in a decade, upping the pay of store and warehouse staff by 5.8%.

The new rates, which came into force yesterday (Sunday July 24), took the hourly pay of store and customer fufilment centre workers from £9.55 an hour to £10.10.

Tesco delivery drivers and click-and-collect delivery assistants now receive £11 per hour..

Aldi UK and Ireland chief executive Giles Hurley said: “Our new rates of pay maintain Aldi’s position as the UK’s highest paying supermarket.

“This announcement recognises the amazing contribution our colleagues make in serving local communities across the country. Their outstanding efforts have ensured that our customers continue to have access to fresh affordable food, every single day.”

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