Aldi staff will be given a pay rise this year in recognition of the “outstanding efforts” of its employees throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

A total of 30,000 store staff across the UK will benefit from the pay boost, while the supermarket announced plans to recruit another 4,000 shop workers over the course of the year.

Hourly pay rate increase

The German-owned retailer said it will increase its national minimum hourly pay rate for store employees from £9.40 to £9.55, as of 1 February.

Staff who work inside the M25 will earn at least £11.07 per hour, up from the current £10.90.

Aldi said its minimum hourly rate of pay for store staff will also rise to £10.57 after three years nationally and £11.32 after two years in London.

Its new rate from next month will be 83p more per hour than the current National Living Wage, and £2.35 more per hour for staff working within the M25.

Aldi is one of the only UK supermarkets to pay for breaks and claimed that, including these, its national hourly rate for an average shift will rise to a sector-beating £10.11.

The news comes after Morrisons last week became the first UK supermarket to announce its minimum pay will increase to at least £10 per hour from April.

The pay rise has been made to thank staff for their hard work during the ongoing pandemic, with staff at the group also awarded bonuses in April and December.

Giles Hurley, chief executive of Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “I want to express my sincere thanks to every single Aldi colleague who stepped up when it mattered and helped us succeed in our most important mission of all – feeding the nation.

“Their outstanding efforts have ensured that our customers continue to have access to fresh affordable food, every single day.

“It has never been more important to ensure that our colleagues are rewarded fully for their immense contribution during a challenging period for everyone.”

More workers and stores

The supermarket currently has more than 36,000 staff in total across the UK, but is aiming to hire a further 4,000 shop workers this year.

This comes as part of a long-term target of having 1,200 stores by 2025.

Aldi already has more than 900 branches across the UK and hopes to open around one store every week to reach its goal.