Aldi has announced a surprise 2p rule that will become effective in September for all of its stores across the UK. The budget supermarket, which has been operating in the UK since 1990, has been leading the charge in terms of employee wages and was recently rivalled by Lidl, which boosted its staff pay rate to match that of Aldi’s. Earlier this year, Aldi announced that its staff members across the country would be paid an hourly rate of £13 from September 1.
However, the supermarket has now boosted that to £13.02 to remain a leader in the industry, after Lidl announced that its staff would be paid £13 per hour as well. The change affects more than 28,000 staff members across the nation, who will notice the difference in their pay slips. Additionally, the rate increases to £13.95 with length of service.
Wages in London will be considerably higher, as staff are set to be paid £14.35 per hour from September, a noticeable increase from the previous £14.05 hourly rate. This will increase to £14.66 with length of service in Aldi stores in the capital.
This is the second pay increase that Aldi shop workers have enjoyed this year. The supermarket maintains its position as the best-paying in the sector, with its main rivals being Lidl, Morrisons and Asda.
It is also the only retailer to offer all colleagues paid breaks. For the average Aldi worker, this equates to approximately £1,425 a year.
Giles Hurley, Chief Executive Officer of Aldi UK and Ireland, stated: “Our colleagues are at the heart of our success, and we’re committed to ensuring they are fully rewarded for the outstanding work they do.
“Today’s higher-than-planned pay rise is part of our promise to never be beaten on pay.”
The new hourly rate of £13.02 is a stark increase from the previous rate of £12.75, making Aldi the first supermarket in the UK to pay more than £13 per hour.