Extra 18p comes amid threat to jobs

UNION chiefs branded an 18p-anhour pay rise for thousands of Asda workers a “smokescreen”.

The supermarket giant yesterday announced that its basic hourly rate for store staff would rise to £9.18 from April next year.

Asda had already planned to raise pay to £9 an hour from November 3 as part of a move to have all staff on one type of contract.

However, the new contract has caused anger among some Asda workers who say they’ll be out of pocket as it removes paid breaks and potentially forces them to do bank holidays.

Asda said staff on the majority of contracts are on £8.21 an hour, meaning next April’s rise to £9.13 will equate to an increase of more than 11%. Hayley Tatum, senior vice president for people at Asda, said the rise would “give certainty to our colleagues despite an unpredictable economic landscape and challenging market”.

But the GMB union said it came as Asda workers who refuse to sign the new contract by November 2 face the axe.

Gary Carter, GMB national officer, said: “Asda are using this 18p rise as a smokescreen to distract from the fact they plan to sack workers this weekend unless they sign a punishing new contract.

“It is unprecedented to announce an April pay rise in October – and Asda are clearly feeling the heat of opposition to the imposition of this contract.

“We do not yet know what inflation will be by that point, so this could end up failing to keep pace with the cost of living.”