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Asda axes 300 jobs with another 4,000 facing pay cuts

Asda A member of staff stacks loose tins on the shelves in the UK supermarket Asda, as the store launches a new sustainability strategy, in Leeds, Britain, October 19, 2020. Picture taken October 19, 2020. REUTERS/Molly Darlington
211 night manager roles are at risk from the proposed changes by Asda. Photo: Molly Darlington/Reuters (Molly Darlington / reuters)

Asda has unveiled a major shake-up of store operations, which will put close to 300 roles at risk and reduce pay for more than 4,000 night workers.

The big four chain has proposed to move overnight restocking shifts at 184 of its smaller superstore sites over to the daytime, with staff restocking ambient products between 7pm and midnight, and frozen products between 7am and 1pm instead.

The exact sites affected have not been confirmed by Asda but the change puts around 211 night shift manager roles at risk, the supermarket said.

The move will also affect 4,137 hourly paid workers, who will see shift patterns move to the daytime and lose their night shift pay.

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Night shift workers receive a premium for patterns for working unsociable hours, with their pay packets boosted by at least £2.52 per hour.

Moving to the day shift would see them lose this boost, with total salaries varying on the position.

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.”

Read more: UK recession could be twice as bad as previously expected

The supermarket also announced a 25% cut to the opening hours of 23 in-store Post Office shops, and will shut seven in-store pharmacies, which employ 14 pharmacists and 48 other workers.

GMB Union recently said that Asda workers receive just £10.10 per hour, which was the lowest paid of the big four and one of the "lowest paying retailers overall".

Watch: UK suffering from ‘catastrophic’ impact of Brexit, says Asda boss