Aldi is increasing pay for UK warehouse workers for the third time in a year – with its hourly minimum rate now 20% above last January. The German-owned discounter, which is the UK’s fourth-largest supermarket chain, said pay would rise to £13.18 on 1 February, up 4% on the current minimum of £12.66, which was introduced in September. The latest increase for warehouse workers comes after Aldi upped pay for store staff last month to at least £11 an hour – also the third increase in a year. The new minimum wage for warehouse workers is higher than the independently verified living wage, which was raised to at least £10.90 in September. The increases come amid rising competition to hire staff amid high employment levels and soaring household costs, which have led to strikes by nurses, railway and postal workers, and many others trying to protect their standard of living. Several retail chains, including Tesco and Sainsbury’s, have put up pay multiple times over the past 12 months in an effort to retain and attract staff. Warehouse workers have been in particularly short supply since Brexit, which reduced access to labour from across Europe. Aldi needs to attract more staff as it is opening about one new store a week and is vying with its fellow German-owned discounter Lidl to be the UK’s fastest-growing grocery chain. The chain’s sales rose 27% in the three months to Christmas Day, according to the latest figures from the market research group Kantar as shoppers sought ways to limit their spending over the festive period. Giles Hurley, the chief executive of Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “Just as we promise our customers that we will do all we can to support them, we are equally committed to supporting our amazing Aldi colleagues – as we remain the highest-paying supermarket in the UK. “This announcement recognises the hard work and contribution our colleagues make in serving communities across the country and it’s down to them that we are able to ensure our customers can access fresh affordable food, every single day.”