// Asda starts consultation with 2832 staff across back office roles in its latest bid to cut costs
// Staff working in administrative, cash office and personnel roles have been told their jobs were at risk
// Asda is looking to halve its back office operations across its 639 stores
Asda has reportedly started a consultation process with more than 2800 staff across back office roles in its latest bid to cut costs.
According to The Guardian, the Walmart-owned grocer has informed 2832 employees working in administrative, cash office and personnel roles that their jobs were at risk as the consultation period started last Thursday.
The news comes several weeks after Asda enforced a controversial new employment contract which increased basic hourly pay and hourly pay on some bank holidays, but scrapped paid breaks, cut premium pay on most bank holidays and reduced the number of hours rated as better-paid night shifts.
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The contract attracted headlines amid reports that Asda would reportedly sack employees who did not sign the new contract by the set deadline, which the grocer denied.
In addition, earlier this month Asda unveiled plans to replace its meat and fish counters with a food-for-now offer, placing further hundreds of jobs at risk.
In its latest cost cutting drive, the Big 4 grocer is looking to halve its back office operations across its 639 stores.
Trade union GMB said Asda was seeking “significant hours reductions” in the affected departments.
In a statement, Asda said: “The way in which we operate our store-based back office has evolved over recent years to adapt to changing customer behaviour, such as an increase in card payments over cash.
“As a result, we are proposing some changes to increase efficiencies and simplify ways of working across administration, compliance and cash office.
“We have opened a collective consultation with those colleagues impacted and their representatives and will have conversations about any potential change with our colleagues first.”
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8 Comments. Leave new
Asda staff forced to take hours cut and wage cuts forcing staff to do more for less squeeze workers till they bleed
Utterly disgraceful but can unions do a thing this time
Yes I know this is the 2nd time in 12 months that I have been put through this.
This is the fourth or fifth time since working in admin that this has happened and that’s without the one where the contract changed. I think this time I’m out of there. We have all had enough of this
Ditto . I work in Welbeck now, a tiny store. I may look to move back to Fleetwood or around the corner in Cherry Tree in a different role if I have to.
Asda stupid compy I never spend even penny ther anymore greedy owner
Up the ALDI !
Disgusting that Asda get away with this putting more pressure on staff
They say this has been trialled at stores but we heard they are having huge problems with staff cuts
Come on GMB union do your job
No room to move staff into cash office as intended
Have the ppl who organised this visited stores
No they have not
Who want to start work at 6 am for only 17 hours a week ?
As for consultation they have only told staff of impending changes this is not consulting