Aldi remains highest paying supermarket

German supermarket chain Aldi says it has maintained its position as the UK’s highest-paying supermarket after announcing hourly rates which remain in excess of the voluntary Living Wage.

All staff at the UK’s fifth-largest supermarket will earn a minimum hourly rate of £9.40 nationally, up 3.3% from £9.10 outside the M25. Inside the M25, the rate increases to £10.90, from £10.55 last year, also up 3.3%.

The national rate rises to £10.41 per hour for employees with three years’ service, while those in London with two years’ service will earn £11.15 per hour.

Aldi added that the value of its pay increase is enhanced by the fact that it is one of few supermarkets to pay colleagues for breaks taken during their shift.

Giles Hurley, chief executive officer for Aldi UK, said: “The dedication and commitment our store colleagues deliver every day when serving our customers underpins our success. We have the most efficient and productive workforce, and this is why they earn the highest rates of pay in the grocery sector.”

Aldi has 874 stores and is recruiting for over 3,800 store-level positions this year. It remains on track to achieve its long-term target of 1,200 UK stores by 2025.

Hurley added: “We want to recruit the best people in retail, invest in their training and provide them with the opportunity to develop their careers with Aldi as our business grows.”

From April, Asda workers will receive an 18p pay rise (up 2% to £9.18 per hour) but had to sign a new contract meaning they had to be available to work bank holidays, and rest breaks would no longer be paid.

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XpertHR found that the median pay award in retail and wholesale in 2019 was 2.5%.

Aldi’s current share of the UK grocery market is 7.8%, having increased by 0.4% over the past 12 months.