Jobs at risk and lower pay for over 4,100 night-shift workers as part of new Asda proposals

Asda has announced a series of proposals which could result in hundreds of job loses and many staff seeing a reduction in pay.

The supermarket giant is planning to replace the overnight ambient and frozen shifts in 184 smaller superstores, with colleagues restocking ambient products between 7pm and midnight, and frozen products between 7am and 1pm instead.

However this could lead to the loss of up to 211 night shift manager roles and a change to the working patterns of circa 4,137 hourly-paid colleagues.

Asda argue that this proposal will the number of hours available for colleagues to work in each store. However it mean an effective pay cut for staff who would see the removal of night shift premium paid top of their existing hourly rate.

As well as the proposed shift changes, Asda is proposing a 25% reduction in opening hours for all 23 in-store Post Office branches following a decline in the number of customers using this service.

This would affect 23 salaried Post Office Managers and 200 hourly-paid colleagues.

Asda is also proposing to close 7 of its 254 in-store pharmacies due to low customer usage, which would affect 48 hourly-paid colleagues and 14 pharmacists.

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.”