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Aldi hikes pay for its UK store workers for third time this year

By Nithya Bose in UK Business News, posted October 31, 2022

Aldi is raising pay for its employees for the third time this year.

The new minimum wage will be £11 per hour, bringing it to the top of the supermarket pay scale.

From January, the UK's fourth largest grocery store will raise hourly pay by 50p, or nearly 5 percent, for almost 26,000 employees.

This hike comes a little over a month after the last one, in September, when store workers' hourly pay increased by 40p to a minimum of £10.50.

Workers within the M25 motorway that circles London will receive their hourly salary increase to at least £12.45.

The new rates placed Aldi on top of Lidl, which boosted its hourly wage to £10.90 this month.

Unlike Lidl and other supermarkets, Aldi pays for breaks during shifts, a bonus worth an extra £871 per year.

Aldi's new minimum salary is also greater than the independently verified living wage, which was lifted in September to at least £10.90.

Giles Hurley, the CEO of Aldi UK and Ireland 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.”

This year, supermarket pay has increased as retailers compete for workers with other high-street, travel, and hospitality firms.

Several chains have increased wages a couple of times this year to keep up with the rising living costs.

They intend to retain experienced staff while also attracting new hires before the holiday rush.

Wilko joined Aldi in rising pay, saying that retail staff will henceforth be paid a minimum of £10 per hour, up from £9.60 in the spring.

Those working in its warehouses and delivery operations will receive an extra 50p to £10.50 per hour until March as part of a temporary "market forces" deal in response to high competition for staff.

Pay rises are also being imposed on hospitality businesses such as restaurants and hotels.

In certain instances, this sector restricts trading hours as it is unable to locate enough appropriately qualified staff to meet increased demand.

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Aldi is now in urgent need of new recruits since it opens one new store every week.

The supermarket giant is competing with Lidl, another German-owned discounter, to be the fastest-growing grocer in the UK.

Both are booming as shoppers shift some of their spending from traditional supermarkets to save money during a time of significant food price inflation.

Source: The Guardian

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