Aldi has increased its starting pay for all store assistants to a minimum of £11 an hour, maintaining its position as the best paying supermarket in the UK.
The new starting salary, which takes effect on 1 January 2023, is 15% higher than it was a year ago and is higher than the voluntary, “real” Living Wage rate recommended by the Living Wage Foundation.
The latest Living Wage rate, announced last month, is £10.90 for employees across the UK and £11.95 for those in London.
Aldi store colleagues working within the M25 will see their starting pay increase to £12.45 per hour, to reflect the higher cost of living in the capital.
The supermarket’s logistics staff will also see their pay rise next year, with starting salaries increasing to £10.90, in line with the real Living Wage.
Retail sector
Tesco to cut hundreds of jobs at regional offices
More than a third of retailers have all-white boards
Law protecting frontline workers against violence takes effect
Aldi overtakes Lidl as the UK’s best-paying supermaket. Last month, the rival discount retailer increased entry-level hourly rates to £10.90 outside London and to £11.95 within the M25.
Aldi UK and Ireland chief executive Giles Hurley said: “Just as we promise Aldi customers that we will always offer the lowest grocery prices in Britain, we are committed to being the highest-paying supermarket for our colleagues.
“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 per hour to all store assistants, exceeding the Living Wage Foundation’s recommended real Living Wage.”
Numerous other supermarkets have recently increased pay as living costs rise. Last month, Sainsbury’s, which also owns Argos, increased retail employees’ wages from £10.00 to £10.25 per hour nationally, and from £11.05 to £11.30 per hour in London.
Morrisons’ new pay deal, which took effect this month, introduced a minimum hourly rate of £10.20 per hour for shop floor and manufacturing workers, and increased pay for those working within the M25 to £11.05.
Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance
Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday
At Tesco, the basic hourly rate of pay from November will increase by 20p to £10.30 (or £10.98 in London). The GMB Union has put pressure on Asda, which pays a minimum of £10.10 an hour, to increase employees wages.
Reward, compensation and benefits opportunities
Browse all comp and benefits jobs
