Aldi gives staff pay rise with new minimum wage of £8.40 an hour

Supermarkets including Lidl, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s have already pledged to raise their minimum wage

Aldi said around 5000 workers would benefit from the higher wage (Bloomberg)

Aldi is the latest supermarket to raise the minimum wage it pays to workers ahead of the introduction of a “national living wage” next year.

Aldi has said it will raise its minimum wage to £8.40 an hour from February, or £9.45 an hour for workers in London.

Supermarkets including Lidl, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s have already pledged to raise their minimum wage. George Osborne’s National Living Wage, which will be introduced in April, will only apply to workers over the age of 25.

Aldi said around 5000 workers would benefit from the higher wages. Stock assistants and caretakers, some of the lowest paid at the firm, will see the best raise. Aldi employs around 28,000 people in the UK.

Aldi store assistants are already paid £8.15 an hour, which is above the living wage of £7.20 that will come into force next year.

Osborne’s living wage is still below the amount necessary for people to live on according to the Living Wage Foundation, which sets the minimum amount at £7.85 and £9.15 in London.

Monsoon Accesssorize has been named the worst British company for paying staff the national minimum wage.