Aldi has announced that its 28,000 shop staff will get higher wages from February next year.
The move will maintain its position as the UK’s best-paying supermarket at a time when retailers and other firms are struggling to fill vacancies.
Aldi’s store assistants will receive at least £10.10 an hour nationally, increasing to £11.55 for those inside the M25. The company highlighted that it remains the only supermarket to offer paid breaks, which for the average store worker is worth £750 annually.
Its new rates exceed the Living Wage Foundation’s recommended real living wage levels of £9.90 an hour nationally and £11.05 an hour inside the M25.
“The commitment and enthusiasm of our colleagues has driven our success over many years, particularly during the last 18 months,” said Giles Hurley, Chief Executive of Aldi UK and Ireland.
“We want to ensure our colleagues are always fully rewarded for their amazing work. These new rates, together with the fact that we are the only supermarket to pay colleagues for breaks taken during their shifts, means we continue to offer the best pay in the supermarket sector.”
Aldi now has more than 950 stores throughout the UK and recently pledged to invest £1.3bn over the next two years to continue its expansion programme.
NAM Implications:
- Better pay fills labour gaps, at the expense of other retailers.
- Fuelling the performance of the fastest-growing sector in town…
- Time to optimise your fair share?
