Asda shake-up risks job cuts and lower pay for 4,000 night workers
Asda’s owners have revealed a planned shake-up that places hundreds of jobs at risk and will see thousands moved to lower-paid roles.
The company has proposed that some overnight restocking shifts at 184 stores are moved to the daytime, putting 211 night shift manager roles at risk.
Asda said the changes would also affect 4,137 hourly-paid workers as their shift patterns would also move to the daytime, resulting in the loss of their night shift pay premium of at least £2.52 per hour for restocking goods such as frozen food, tins and pasta.
The plans would also see the opening hours for 23 in-store Post Office branches cut by a quarter and seven in-store pharmacies, which employ 14 pharmacists and 48 other workers, closed down.
The UK’s third-largest grocery chain by market share said its changes were the result of an “efficiency” drive but they were met with stinging criticism by the GMB union.
The shake-up comes at a time when supermarket profitability has been squeezed by the need to cut prices and compete as discounters Aldi and Lidl continue to eat away at the established grocers’ customer bases amid the cost of living crisis.
Ken Towle, Asda’s retail director, said: “The retail sector is evolving at pace and it is vital we review changing customer preferences, along with our own ways of working, to ensure we are operating as efficiently as possible so that we can continue to invest and grow our business.
“We are now entering a period of consultation with our colleagues on these proposals. We recognise this will be a difficult time for them and will do all we can to support them through this process.”
