ALDI IN IRELAND has announced it will pay its staff the living wage.

The supermarket today announced that staff would be paid a minimum of €11.70 an hour, the figure suggested by the Living Wage Technical Group.

It is the first supermarket to commit to paying the living wage, which is above the €9.55 per hour minimum wage.

The supermarket says that some staff already earn up to €14 an hour in Ireland and claims to be the best-paying supermarket chain in Ireland.

The new rate is effective as of 1 February and is a 20 cent increase on entry-level pay for shop assistants, stock assistants and caretakers.

Giles Hurley, Group Managing Director of Aldi Ireland said:

Our store colleagues are the cornerstone of our business. Without their hard work and dedication day in, day out, we would be unable to provide customers with the lowest grocery prices in Ireland. We are committed to offering the best pay and benefits in the industry and will continue to do so.

The announcement follows a period of significant sustained sales growth and store expansion for the German retailer. It is currently engaged in a three year €100 million new store opening programme.

The wage is determined by the Living Wage Technical Group, which was set up in 2014 and comprises researchers and academics.

The living wage is updated in July of each year. It is part of a growing international trend to establish an evidence-based hourly income that a full-time worker needs so that they can experience a socially acceptable minimum standard of living.

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