Aldi staff to get second pay rise in a year

Aldi workers are set for their second pay rise in a year as the demand for UK workers continues to grow.

From September, the supermarket chain will be increasing the hourly pay of 26,000 members of staff by 40p – this will increase wages to a minimum of £10.50 outside the M25 and to £11.95 in London, a rise of at least 3.5%.

These new rates exceed the Living Wage Foundation’s recommended real living wage of £9.90 an hour nationally and £11.05 in London.

And unlike other supermarket chains, the rate also covers pay for breaks in shifts, which the company said was worth £830 a year for the average shop worker.

Mike Mozart / Flickr

The second pay rise comes as Aldi compete for staff with competitors on the high street who are all struggling to recruit in the wake of the Covid pandemic.

Staffing shortages have also been put down to new visa restrictions caused by Brexit, some of which prohibit seasonal workers from the EU from working legally in the UK.

Giles Hurley, the chief executive of Aldi UK and Ireland, 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.

Aldi

“Their outstanding efforts have ensured that our customers continue to have access to fresh affordable food, every single day.”

And Aldi isn’t the only retailer upping its wage, with rival supermarket Tesco and coffee chain Pret A Manger both increasing their wages twice in the last year.

Supermarket giant Asda also raised its pay to £10.10 an hour back in July after unions criticised it for lagging behind rival chains with a rate of £9.66 introduced in April.