GMB blasts ‘heartless’ Asda as contract row rumbles on

The GMB union has once again hit out at Asda over a controversial new workers’ contract.

The grocery giant is offering staff a higher wage in exchange for its Contract 6 that would introduce unpaid breaks and a requirement to work on bank holidays. But the GMB says that staff will be sacked on 2nd November if they don’t agree to the new deal. And they will also not be paid for any sick leave until they do.

And it now claims that Asda bosses are dishing out ‘heartless’ leaflets on how to find a job. This comes as workers are set to protest at more than 75 stores across the UK this week.

“With just a month to go before they sack anyone who won’t sign this merciless new contract and Asda see fit to hand this leaflet out. It's heartless,” says Gary Carter, GMB National Officer.

“Many loyal Asda workers - who’ve dedicated years of their lives to the supermarket - are going to be sacked just before Christmas. Asda needs to show more respect to its workforce, withdraw its threat of the sack, and offer dedicated, long-serving staff a better deal.”

Asda responds

“The retail sector is immensely competitive and it is important that we are able to serve our customers in the best way to meet their needs. This contract is about increasing the take home pay of more than 100,000 retail colleagues, through an investment of more than £80 million, and ensuring that everyone doing the same job is on the same terms and conditions,” an Asda spokesperson told RTIH.

“The overwhelming majority of our colleagues from across all our stores have signed onto the new contracts and while we appreciate that some of our colleagues find the changes more unsettling, we do not want any of them to leave. We understand colleagues have commitments outside of work and will not be asking them to constantly move the time they work, their days or departments.”