Thousands of Asda workers could be going on strike in a pay row as the union claims the supermarket chain is proposing to make changes to staff sick pay.
Staff will cast their votes today after unions rejected a pay deal that would have seen the grocer improve its pay offer in exchange for cutting sickness payments, The Mirror reports. In February, an overwhelming majority of Asda’s staff voted to reject base rate increases to warehouse and clerical staff ranging from 4.98% to 6.10%, and 6.49% to 7.53% for transport staff.
Asda returned to the negotiating table with union GMB and offered to increase warehouse and clerical pay by up to 7.49% and transport workers’ remuneration by 8.31% However, it planned to fund the increases by cutting sick pay, which it said would “align this with policies in place elsewhere in the retail sector”.
