More than 4,000 Asda staff are facing pay cuts while hundreds more have seen their jobs put at risk amid a major shake-up.
The grocer is axing staff in its 23 in-store Post Office branches by a fifth and reducing the opening hours at four sites.
It is also closing seven of its 254 pharmacies, which will see 14 pharmacists’ jobs cut.
Cuts: Asda is axing staff in its 23 in-store Post Office branches by a fifth and reducing the opening hours at four sites. It is also closing seven of its 254 pharmacies
And it is moving 4,137 hourly workers from its overnight shifts – for which they are paid a premium – to less lucrative day shifts. As part of the change, 211 night shift manager roles will also be cut.
The four affected post offices are in Livingston, Edinburgh, Plymouth and Tweedmouth. The pharmacies being closed are in Southampton, Seaham, Feltham, Blackburn, Adel, West Bradford and Weston-super-Mare. The grocer said the overhaul is aimed at ‘improving the customer experience’.
Retail director Ken Towle said: ‘Retail 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 entering a period of consultation with our colleagues on these proposals.’
The changes mean frozen, tinned goods and dried pasta aisles will not be restocked at night at 184 smaller stores, with workers doing so during the day instead. Rivals Lidl and Aldi already have staff restocking shelves during the day.
And last year Tesco unveiled plans to remove overnight stocking from more than a 100 stores, risking up to 1,600 jobs.
Asda said the changes would help it ‘drive sustainable growth’ at a time when supermarkets are under pressure from soaring costs and declining household income.
