The UK branch of supermarket chain Aldi is to offer its store colleagues across the country their second pay rise so far this year.
From September, the retailer will increase the pay of all its hourly paid UK colleagues by £0.40 ($0.48) an hour on their current hourly rate.
The move is intended to help Aldi UK maintain its position as one of the UK’s best-paying supermarkets.
The retailer also claims to be the only supermarket to offer paid breaks.
The pay rise is expected to benefit around 26,000 store colleagues.
The new rates exceed the Living Wage Foundation’s recommended real living wage of £9.90 an hour nationally and £11.05 inside the M25.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataThey also increase Aldi’s investment in pay this year to £43m.
Aldi UK and Ireland CEO Giles Hurley said: “Our new rates of pay maintain Aldi’s position as the UK’s highest paying supermarket.
“This announcement recognises the amazing contribution our colleagues make in serving local communities across the country.
“Their outstanding efforts have ensured that our customers continue to have access to fresh affordable food, every single day.”
Last week, Aldi announced plans to create around 1,000 logistics roles across the UK over the next 12 months.
The jobs will be created as part of the retailer’s efforts to expand its distribution, transport and maintenance teams at its 11 Regional Distribution Centres nationwide.
They will include both full-time and part-time positions, with salaries of up to £19.80 an hour.
Aldi currently operates a network of more than 970 stores and employs around 38,000 people across the UK.
In April this year, the retailer tested an all-electric refrigerated trailer as part of its sustainability efforts.
The trailer is designed to convert kinetic energy into electricity, which will power the on-board batteries.