Aldi becomes first UK supermarket to introduce new £13.02 rule from September

Discount supermarket giant Aldi has announced it will be the first to introduce a new £13.02 rule from Monday, September 1. The retailer has reviewed its hourly pay rules and is set to increase its staff salaries for store assistants from £12.75 an hour to £13.02 an hour from September.

In July, Aldi had announced it would increase pay to £13 an hour from September but today confirmed it is increasing this again by another 2p an hour in order to 'reinforce its pledge to never be beaten on pay'. The supermarket says it is the first supermarket to offer this minimum rate, which also increases to £13.95 with length of service. In London, the new rates are rising from £14.05 an hour to £14.35, increasing to £14.66 with length of service.

A spokesperson for Aldi said: "From Monday 1st September, over 28,000 Aldi hourly paid store colleagues across the UK will receive a bigger than expected pay rise as the supermarket reinforces its pledge to never be beaten on pay.

"In July, Aldi said it was increasing pay for Store Assistants from £12.75 an hour to £13.00 from 1st September, to become the first supermarket to offer this minimum rate.

"It has now made a further increase to £13.02 an hour to maintain its position as sector leader. The rate increases to £13.95 with length of service."

Aldi says it is also the only retailer to offer all colleagues paid breaks, which is worth approximately £1,425 a year for the average store colleague.

Giles Hurley, Chief Executive Officer of Aldi UK and Ireland, said: "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. This higher than planned pay rise is part of our promise to never be beaten on pay."

Aldi was beaten to second place in the cheapest supermarket comparisons this month, having been sniped by Lidl by a few pence in the latest Which? Comparisons.