GMB North West and Irish Region Connect Magazine February 2020 | Page 6

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ASDA CASHES IN WHILE STAFF
THREATENED WITH
Supermarket giants Asda have been condemned by
the GMB after the imposition of new scrooge-like
contracts on thousands of staff.
Regional Secretary Paul McCarthy said: “ASDA
didn’t need to do this. The damage it is doing to
their loyal workforce
is shocking. They
are losing talented
staff but seem to be
more worried about
imposing worse
conditions on people
who are their
lifeblood.”
The US owned
company whose
profits have rocketed
more than £92 million
with a healthy chunk paid to directors – at the
same time is hitting staff with less holidays,
harsher shifts, no sick pay and the sack if they
didn’t sign the controversial new contract.
The US owned company latest accounts show pre-
tax profits shot up almost 13 per cent to almost
£805 million. Asda directors trousered a whopping
£12 million, up 25 per cent from £9.4 million the
year before.
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Political Viewpoint
THE SACK
The accounts also show the supermarket has slashed
almost 5,000 jobs from shops and distribution centres.
The company told its remaining workers they had to
accept a new ‘flexible’ Contract 6 – which impacts on
staff with long service and will see them lose all their
paid breaks and be forced
to work bank holidays –
or be dismissed. Asda
also told those who were
reluctant to sign the
contract they would not
be paid for any sick leave
until they do.
Senior organiser
Giovanna Holt has been
heavily involved in co-
ordinating the
campaign, she said:” Instead of rewarding their staff,
ASDA bosses were forcing them to choose between
signing a detrimental contract or getting the sack in
time for Christmas. Shoppers should be horrified to
see Asda turning the lives of its workers upside down
while at the same time lining directors’ pockets to the
tune of 12 million quid while staff are having to claim
child benefits because of poverty wages. Asda can more
than afford to show respect to its workforce and offer
dedicated, long-serving staff a better deal.”
“
ASDA are now seen as one
of the worst employers in the
country after imposing of new
scrooge-like contracts on
thousands of staff
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Who saw that coming? The Tories won the election with an overwhelming majority.
While we weren’t welcomed with open arms on the doors or the streets when we canvassed
support, the feeling was that we might at least get a hung parliament with Labour in overall
control.
But when areas like Blyth in the North East vote Tory, an area which was decimated by the
Thatcher government then we really have to worry about the future.
One thing we can be proud of in our union is how this region supported Labour candidates in
all areas. There can be no pointing of fingers at the GMB North West and Irish region.
Now of course comes the post mortem. What we need to avoid at all costs is the personal
attacks on people who have fought for this movement, but we need to look at the real reasons
why Labour never got elected. We need to discuss, while recognising we all have our own
views, and take forward a strategy that will lead to a future Labour Government.
There is to be a new Labour leadership team elected soon and whoever that is needs the party
and unions to get behind them and give 100%.
The backbiting has to stop as it helps no one except the Tories.
Austerity with the massive expansion of food-banks, homelessness, universal credit driving
up poverty and the privatisation of the NHS are all there to be tackled and we need to dust
ourselves down as a movement and start the fight-back.
There are local and Mayoral elections this year and I am looking forward to a constructive,
strategic dialogue at the North West Labour Party conference on February 7-9 and we need all
delegates to take part.”
Neil Smith,Political Officer, GMB NW&I Region
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