Aldi has announced it is raising its starting pay for store assistants to a minimum of £11.40 per hour nationally, and £12.85 within the M25.
The new £11.40 per hour starting rate, which is effective from 1 July 2023, is more than 13% higher than it was a year ago, representing an investment of more than £100m in colleague pay in the last 12 months.
The new rates are higher than the Real Living Wage, set by the Living Wage Foundation, of £10.90 per hour nationally and £11.95 inside the M25.
Aldi is also the only supermarket to pay for breaks, which for the average Store colleague is worth an additional £927 annually.
The announcement follows a series of pay increases, including raising hourly rates for 7,000 Warehouse colleagues across the UK.
Giles Hurley, CEO of Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “We believe our colleagues are the best in the sector and we are committed to ensuring they are also the best paid.
“We are incredibly proud of every single member of Team Aldi and are pleased to become the first UK supermarket to pay a minimum of £11.40 per hour to all Store Assistants.”
