Aldi becomes first supermarket in the UK to introduce £13 rule from September 1

Aldi is paving the way for other supermarkets as it becomes the first among its rivals to pay assistants at least £13 an hour. Aldi also remains the only supermarket to offer staff paid breaks, which is worth an additional £1,384 annually for the average employee. The new rise in basic pay will take effect on September 1, according to the business.

Earlier this year, Aldi increased its minimum hourly pay to £12.75 nationally and £14.05 for employees in London. The supermarket chain has now said that staff living within the M25 will take home at least £14.33 - a significant increase above the Real Living Wage of £12.60 and National Living Wage of £12.21.

Those who have worked for Aldi for a long period of time will also benefit from a pay rise, increasing to £13.93 nationally and £14.64 in London.

Giles Hurley, Chief Executive Officer of Aldi UK, said: "Our people are the driving force behind our success. This latest investment in pay is a reflection of their hard work and the incredible contribution they make.

"We're proud to remain the UK's highest-paying supermarket and will continue to support our colleagues."

While Aldi is leading the way in staff pay rises, other supermarkets have also increased their employees' wages. This comes after Chancellor Rachel Reeves' Minimum Pay Hike in the UK.

Rival discount chain Lidl increased its hourly pay for staff early this year to £12.75, part of a wider multi-million pound investment in the company.

Minimum hourly rates for Tesco store workers will rise to £12.64 an hour from the end of August, following a rise to £12.45 from March 30.

Sainsbury's and Argos employees also saw an increase to £12 in March, yet will get an extra 60p an hour from the end of August.

Waitrose and M&S workers are paid a minimum of £12.40 an hour and £12.60 an hour, respectively.