Supermarket chain Aldi is to increase hourly pay for store assistants and deputy store managers from 1 June.
The organisation, which has more than 1,000 stores, 11 regional distribution centres and 45,000 employees across Britain, will increase its national minimum pay rate from £12 per hour to £12.40 outside the M25, and from £13.55 to £13.65 within the M25.
The latest increase takes Aldi’s investment in pay so far this year to £79 million. Its minimum rate is in line with the real living wage set by the Living Wage Foundation.
This is the second pay rise it has implemented for store employees this year, as it increased pay for all its 40,000 store and warehouse staff to at least £12 an hour nationally and £13.55 within the M25 back in February. Pay rates rose further for store assistants to £12.95 nationally and £13.85 within the M25 based on employees’ length of service.
Giles Hurley, chief executive officer of Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “We firmly believe that our colleagues are the best in the business, so it is only right that they remain the best-paid and we are committed to never being beaten on pay by any other supermarket. Our store operations colleagues play an integral part in our ever-increasing popularity among shoppers and our continued investment in their pay is another way to thank them for the role they play in making Aldi what it is today.”
Aldi also offers paid breaks, which it says are worth more than £900 a year for the average store employee.