Aldi to give UK warehouse workers second pay rise in a year

theguardian.com:

Aldi is giving its warehouse workers their second pay rise in a year, with wages rising almost 6% for most staff next month, in the latest sign of the intense competition for workers in the UK.

The UK’s fifth-largest grocer said the majority of its warehouse workers, known as selectors, would now earn a minimum of £12.66 an hour, up from £11.95 at present after an increase from £11.48 in January. Those working in London will receive a minimum of £13.05 an hour.

Aldi last month said it was raising pay for its shop workers for the second time in a year. Tesco and the sandwich chain Pret a Manger have also put pay up twice for workers in the past year, while Asda raised its pay to £10.10 an hour in July after unions criticised it for lagging behind rival chains with a rate of £9.66 introduced in April.

Andrew Bailey, the governor of the Bank of England, has said the spate of pay increases, and industrial action demanding more in the face of soaring inflation on living costs, means inflation may become “embedded”.

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In total, 4,200 staff will benefit from the pay rise, working across the 11 Aldi distribution centres that serve its 970 stores. Those working night shifts will get a premium of 25% on basic pay, up from 20% previously, as companies battle to attract enough warehouse staff amid an increase in home deliveries during the coronavirus pandemic.

The increase puts Aldi warehouse workers well ahead of those at the online retailer Amazon, which has been the subject of sit-ins and other protests. The unofficial protests started after staff were offered a 35p-an-hour pay rise to a minimum of