OXFAM has welcomed an announcement by Aldi that it will appoint a human rights director after a damning assessment by the Cowley charity earlier this year.

The German discount retailer revealed it was instituting a new human rights policy last week after Oxfam ranked it the worst of six UK supermarkets for protecting workers in its global supply chain.

The company has now said it will 'strive' for greater transparency and start giving buyers extra training on the issue.

Reacting to the news, Oxfam director of campaigns Matthew Spencer, said: "We welcome the positive steps Aldi has taken in response to Oxfam's campaign to end the suffering behind our food supply. Millions of small-scale food workers around the world remain trapped in poverty, an issue we know that Aldi’s customers really care about.

"It is good that Aldi has begun to acknowledge issues such as the need for greater transparency in their supply chains, the importance of listening to workers and that women are more vulnerable to human rights violations.

"We would now encourage the company to offer a clear time-bound plan for implementing their commitments, so that we can be sure their words will be turned into meaningful action for the women and men supplying their food."