The discounter to give all store staff a further pay rise

Aldi says it has maintained its position as the UK’s best paying supermarket by raising its starting pay for store assistants to a minimum of £11.40 per hour nationally, and £12.85 within the M25.

Aldi UK CEO Giles Hurley

Aldi UK & Ireland CEO Giles Hurley

The new £11.40 per hour starting rate, which is effective from 1 July 2023, is more than 13 per cent higher than it was a year ago, representing an investment of more than £100m in staff 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 says it is also the only supermarket to pay for breaks, which for the average store worker is worth an additional £927 annually.

This announcement follows a series of pay increases, including raising hourly rates for 7,000 warehouse staff across the UK.

Giles Hurley, chief executive officer 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.”

Aldi is set to create more than 6,000 new jobs this year, adding to the 4,500 permanent roles created last year.

The supermarket, which was named by consumer champion Which? as the UK’s cheapest for 2022, has more than 40,000 colleagues and over 990 stores in the UK.