Aldi - Criticism

Criticism

In April 2000, Aldi UK paid damages to a store manager who was fired for being HIV-positive. Aldi reached an out-of-court settlement with Mark Hedley (who had been manager of the Aldi supermarket in Seaham, County Durham) shortly before an employment tribunal hearing. Hedley complained of discrimination after he was asked to leave because bosses said staff were uncomfortable around him. It is thought the damages paid to Hedley were "six figures".

In 2004, German Aldi stores sold garden furniture from Indonesian Meranti wood. Because it was not able to show that it was sourced legally (70% of Indonesian timber is illegally logged), environmental organisations pressured Aldi to stop selling the wood. Within days Aldi announced that all of its future timber would bear the FSC certificate, which promotes sustainable forestry.

In 2008 Aldi demolished an historic coaching inn in Burpham having previously agreed not to until a successful planning application had been achieved.

In 2010, over 200 Aldi store managers in the USA filed charges against unfair labour practices, claiming they were illegally classified as exempt from overtime pay, receiving a fixed salary regardless of the actual number of hours worked. The plaintiffs claimed that instead of managing, most of the time was spent stocking shelves, cleaning spills, and serving customers. Aldi store managers are not responsible for hiring, firing, or promoting employees. The Fair Labor Standards Act, one of the major labor laws in the United States, and the law that (among many other things) mandates overtime pay, is not required to be applied to supervisors (which it defines as employees with the ability to hire, fire, or promote employees)).

In September 2011, Australian community groups in Quakers Hill, New South Wales launched objections over Aldi's plans of selling discount alcohol at several stores.