Posted on: 3 March 2026

ASDA Equal Pay: Which roles have won equal value?

The tribunal have issued their latest decision, and most roles have now been assessed for equal value. Although many roles have succeeded, unfortunately some have not.

This is both a massive win for colleagues in certain roles, and a big blow for others. Collectively, if we win this, it will be the biggest transfer of money from private hands to working ones in British history. But we’ve always wanted to win together, so this decision, like the last, isn’t exactly the news we hoped for.

Has my role won equal value?

Here is a breakdown of which roles the tribunal have said are of equal value to distribution roles, which are not, and which still need assessing:

How was the decision reached?

The outcome is based on the tribunals scoring system, which we always contested. It wasn’t the system our lawyers, Leigh Day, put forward, nor one they agreed with, but it is the one the tribunal have used to make their decision. At this stage, the only way to appeal is on a “point of law” and our lawyers cannot find one with reasonable grounds. Therefore, the decision will not be able to be appealed.

What happens next?

No claims have been dismissed at this stage. The Tribunal’s decisions on equal value needs to be applied to individual claims. This will likely involve agreeing a process with ASDA and gathering further information from them.

Whilst the lawyers fight in the courts, we will continue to fight for a settlement for you all. This extensive legal battle has prevented many seeing justice, and put money in the pockets of ASDA’s legal eagles rather the colleagues who run the stores. GMB believes that money should be with ASDA’s hardworking, well-deserving workforce. We know your true value, whatever the courts say.

The third and final hearing (“Material Factor Defence”) begins 23^rd November 2026, but we don’t expect outcomes until spring 2027 given how long the court processes take. We will keep you informed with further developments.

Should you have any questions about your individual claim, we would suggest you contact our lawyers Leigh Day directly who will be best placed to assist. You can reach them at AsdaGMB@leighday.co.uk.

Alternatively, you could join one of our online briefings, where we’ll be joined by our lawyers, to get further information about the tribunal’s judgement and to ask questions.

REGISTER FOR THURSDAY 5 MARCH AT 10AM

REGISTER FOR THURDSAY 5 MARCH AT 6PM

Note for security colleagues

Due to your employment transferring to Mitie on 29^th March, you are strongly advised to make a claim before then. Claims made after that date may not be valid, and we’ve been advised that even if they are they will be harder to win. If you’ve made a claim already, it continues with ASDA, but if you have not, please make sure you put yours in within the next two weeks.

Make a claim today

Posted on: 30 January 2026

Dear GMB ASDA Security member,

You would have received the news that ASDA are transferring your employment to private contractor Mitie. Your employment will transfer to Mitie on the 29th March.

The GMB is your trade union throughout this process and once you transfer to Mitie.

We will have a seat at the table throughout the consultation process before you transfer and we will have a seat at the table when talking to your new employer Mitie.

We have now received an 'early measures' letter from Mitie, this letter sets out proposed changes that Mitie want to make to your employment.

The key change being proposed is a potential reduction in store hours which Mitie say has the potential to result in re-deployment or redundancy. They also refer to an uplift in pay from £12:60 to £12:67 per hour.

Only GMB members have the right to individual representation in one to one meetings, a voice in collective consultation and free legal advice is required.

We will shortly be sitting down with Mitie and ASDA to begin consultation and we will keep you updated on proposals as we move through the discussion.

Many thanks,

Your GMB National Negotiating Team.

Posted on: 13 January 2026

Dear GMB member,

You will by now be aware that ASDA has made some changes to their sickness absence policy.

GMB was engaged in a process of consultation with ASDA on these changes.

When ASDA first proposed their changes the GMB felt strongly that they were far too harsh. Through a process of discussion, ASDA agreed to several of our proposed changes.

We accept and understand that ASDA needs an improved process for managing absence. We also stand by our long-held position that ASDA workers should not have to pay the price for a business that is currently very sadly in decline due to decisions made by the previous leadership.

GMB and ASDA have agreed a joint statement in regards to these changes which I share here:

Following constructive discussions, ASDA has carefully listened to the feedback raised by representatives of the GMB retail forum. Through these discussions, ASDA has decided on an outcome that recognises a need for change in the current approach to sickness absence management. GMB has asked ASDA to ensure these changes are fair and consistent and believe that a balanced outcome in discussions has been achieved.

Both parties remain committed to working together and will review the application of the policy during our business as usual forum meetings.

The key changes are available on One ASDA.

Many thanks,

Nadine

Nadine Houghton

National Officer

GMB National Private Section

Posted on: 16 October 2025

ASDA’s new policy for managing productivity in Home Shopping is now making the pick less safe for colleagues and we need your help to put this right.

Home shoppers used to have the facility to ‘nil pick’ and item that didn’t fit, was too heavy for the tote or had been removed from the shop floor.

However, the new picking coaching policy now manages colleagues over their ‘nil picks’, leading GMB to be concerned that colleagues could be performance managed for nil picking an item for health and safety reasons.

Don’t forget - if you have had accident at work you may be entitled to compensation. If you think this applies to you – please complete the form using the link below:

https://forms.office.com/e/2ZE5iu9HRV

Wagestream

Recent reports in the press indicate that Asda wasn’t entirely transparent with its employees when it first started promoting Wagestream as a service for its colleagues.

Advertised as a free to download ‘financial well-being App’, Wagestream allows colleagues to track, stream and save their earnings whilst giving them financial advice. A more recent feature to the App is a Stream Loan, which offers the colleagues access to loans up to £25,000 often with high repayment charges.

What wasn’t advertised was that a holding company controlled by Asda’s private equity owner, TDR Capital is a shareholder in Wagestream, meaning Asda is a part owner and has a direct interest in the company’s success.

The Business and Trade Select Committee has written to Asda, demanding assurances that the company is not “squeezing staff” to drive profit.

With 36,000 users from Asda alone, the GMB would like to know more about how this App effects our members and whether our members are benefitting from using the App or if the App is actually doing more harm to your finances than good?

Please fill out the survey below and let us know how it is affecting you.

The GMB knows that managing everyday household budgets can be tough, which is why we offer our members affordable and ethical loans through our Credit Union.

Go to www.gmbcreditunion.com for more information.

Remember to fill out our survey on Wagestream here: https://forms.office.com/e/zuardL6cFp

Posted on: 15 July 2025

Dear Colleagues,

If you work as a home shopping picker for ASDA, one of the policies you are managed to is called ASDA Home Shoppers 'Online Grocery Picking Coaching'. This policy specifically states there should be no 'formal review of individual pick rates'.

However, ASDA have now made it clear they want to move to a process of performance managing home shoppers using, amongst other things, an individual pick rate.  GMB is wholeheartedly opposed to this shift in approach from ASDA.

ASDA have always claimed that pick rates are used as a tool for planning and budgeting, not for performance management with pick rates applied to individual colleagues.  GMB has responded to the consultation with ASDA, you can read our response by using the link at the bottom of this bulletin.

The key concerns we have are:

1. The potential for this new policy to discriminate against colleagues i.e. those with disabilities or older colleagues.
2. Moving to an individual pick rate performance management means colleagues wellbeing and stress levels will be negatively impacted. If the store is already hitting its target there should be no need to manage individual colleagues.
3. The new policy asks that 20% of home shoppers are 'coached' at all times. This is an unnecessary target that will lead to managers bullying colleagues and potentially discriminating against those least able to hit certain targets due to underlying medical or age-related factors.

We hope ASDA will listen to our concerns and pull back from some of the most damaging elements of their proposed new policy.

We will keep you updated.

In Solidarity,

Your GMB National ASDA Team

performance-management-pickers-gmb-response.pdf

Posted on: 23 June 2025

Dear GMB member,

In February, an employment tribunal found that 12 out of the 14 assessed shop floor roles were of equal value to their depot-based comparator.

The judge's decision was a huge step forward for ASDA workers in their historic battle for equal pay and brings the majority of GMB's ASDA members another step closer to winning back the money they have been underpaid, in some cases for decades.

In every step of this legal process, ASDA have appealed every decision handed out by the court, they have delayed and dragged their loyal workforce through the courts, denying your right to pay justice.

But for the first time in this 13-year battle, ASDA have conceded that your work is of equal value to those in the depots and they have NOT appealed the tribunals latest decision.

You have now won 2 out of the 3 stages of your claim.

ASDA still have the third and final stage to make the case as to why they are discriminating against their shop floor workers. ASDA will now have to convince a judge there are legitimate reasons as to why they need to pay shop floor workers less than depot workers - also called the Material Factors defence.

We are not convinced they will be able to do this.

GMB will continue to push ASDA for settlement talks to ensure justice is delivered.

In the meantime, we will continue to update you on next steps.

In solidarity,

Nadine Houghton,

GMB National Officer for ASDA.

Posted on: 8 May 2025

Dear GMB members,

ASDA's new chairman, Alan Leighton, has spoken at length about putting ASDA colleagues at the heart of his plan to revive ASDA's fortunes.

Hot off the back of GMB's campaign against cuts to hours on the shop floor, ASDA have taken steps to put some of those lost hours back. This is a step in the right direction but it's time for ASDA to go further.

The lack of investment into ASDA's stores is having an impact on GMB members. Many of you have told us how your rest areas and facilities are not up to scratch.

ASDA agree that more needs to be done to improve your facilities, so it’s important ASDA hear directly from GMB members on this issue.

We are launching a survey to gather your feedback. We will publish the results of the survey and share them directly with ASDA.

We will use the quarterly retail forum meetings which GMB has with ASDA to discuss the results and find ways to work with ASDA to seek the improvements you need and deserve.

This means we need you to tell your national reps what improvements you need to see. Please support the campaign by completing the survey and share examples and photos with us if you can.

If you have photos you would like to send us too you can email them directly to: info@gmb.org.uk If you do, please include the name of your store, what the photo shows and what date the photo it was taken.

Thanks for supporting this important campaign,

Your GMB National Reps in ASDA.

Posted on: 2 May 2025

Dear GMB members in ASDA,

This is a message for our home shopping picker members:

ASDA has briefed home shopping pickers currently starting work at 3am that a new pick time of 4am is being introduced. I wanted to take this opportunity to confirm your rights in relation to these proposals, if you are an impacted picker.

As the change from a 3am start to a 4am start involves a cut in pay (through the loss of an hour’s unsociable hours payment), the decision on whether you change your start time is one for you to make - i.e. it is a voluntary change and not one that ASDA can force you to make.

What ASDA can do is to ask you to undertake a different role in the store for the first hour of your current shift. This role must be one that falls within the 'service' job family, i.e. a replenishment role. They would likely request you do this before then starting the pick at 4am.

If you feel as though you are being forced to start at 4am when you want to keep a start time of 3am you need to let your GMB representatives know as this shouldn't be happening.

So, for the avoidance of doubt - the change to 4am is only one that you can be asked to make. You are entitled to say no if this doesn't work for you.

Many thanks,

YOUR NATIONAL GMB REPS’ FORUM

Posted on: 20 March 2025

GMB@ASDA National Health and Safety Update

Your GMB health and Safety forum reps have been working extremely hard over the last quarter, we therefore have a few updates to tell you about.

Drivers

We are opening a consultation with drivers across the business, this will be regarding the proposed new driver distraction technology. We have been informed that it includes road facing and driver facing cameras, these cameras are constantly running while the vehicle engine is on, however data will only be saved when an incident or unsafe act occurs. Unsafe acts include eating or drinking while driving, not wearing a seat belt, fatigue / tiredness and using a phone while driving. It uses artificial intelligence to detect unsafe acts, rather than a person watching the cameras. The system will give ‘verbal/visual nudges, similar to Lightfoot and ASDA have yet to decide the number of nudges that occur before a recording is made and flagged to management. This system will fully replace Lightfoot but will be in addition to the current CCTV.

We’d like to get your feedback on how you feel about this system being introduced. We have set up a Zoom meeting on Wednesday 26th March 2025 and you can attend at either 11am or 6pm. We urge all drivers to attend this event as your voice really matters. We will also be sending out a survey to all drivers after the webinar so that we can hear from as many of you as possible.

11am link:

https://gmb-org-uk.zoom.us/meeting/register/F2o_n6tLSQapqyUh3f65LQ

6pm link:

https://gmb-org-uk.zoom.us/meeting/register/L935AAsUSkqhlVX3YYBNEg

Security

We met with ASDA to raise your concerns about security. ASDA have been clear with us that security colleagues are there to purely carry out security tasks and should not be asked to carry out other roles in the store. If you are unsure of what security tasks are, these can be found on the security DILO (day in the life of) on ASDA One.

We consider violence at work to be one of the top priorities for 2025, due to the rising rates of violence experienced by colleagues in stores. We therefore asked ASDA for a better means for colleagues to report violence and abuse at the last H&S forum meeting. They are going to come back to us with some ideas. We would like to hear suggestions on how to improve health, safety and security for all colleagues. If you have any ideas, please speak to your health and safety representative.

Back of House

We demanded that the back of house area have equal health and safety to the depots. Talks are ongoing, but we have requested that PPE is available on demand, in the same way it is for depots. There have also been a lot of safety updates for the back of house in the last year, this is due to serious accidents that were investigated by GMB Safety Reps and reported back to ASDA. These updates were:

• Managers being instructed to observe deliveries,
• all Senior Directors being instructed to carry out safety walk arounds and follow a checklist that was put together with our input,
• all GSM’s now having to carry out observations with City FM on a regular basis, and
• external compliance audits have been introduced.

An investigation was carried out by your national forum reps into inadequate risk assessments for back of house and in store. This was presented at a meeting at the end of last year and ASDA agreed with our findings. As a result of this, a risk assessment working group was set up by ASDA and they are working with us to improve all of the risk assessments. If you have any issues in the back of house areas, please contact your GMB safety representative.

Trolleys

Due to our work convincing ASDA that the home shopping trolleys are unsafe, they agreed to get them redesigned. They recently showed us three different prototypes of a new 10 tote trolley that has an extra row so that totes can be staggered to improve visibility. The main design of all three new trolleys is the same, they just have three different types of wheels to trial. We believe that they are a better design and safer for colleagues to use. We have requested ASDA trial the new designs as a matter of urgency and will keep members updated. Please look at the picture and let your reps know your thoughts. We have been told that they may change the design again, but this is the current proposed new design.

If you have been injured by the current 10 tote trolley, please fill in the GMB@ASDA survey and we will contact you if we believe you may have a claim - https://forms.office.com/e/Yn55STNfCc

Posted on: 17 March 2025

Dear GMB member,

ASDA's announcement of a £90m investment into colleague hours in stores follows the GMB campaign to get ASDA to restore the hours that were robbed from the shop floor under the previous ASDA leadership.

This investment comes after something called a 'remeasure' where colleagues work was assessed over several months to determine how much time it takes a colleague to carry out the work required to run the stores.

The remeasure took place following a GMB campaign which showed that under TDR Capital and Mohsin Issa's ownership, millions of hours had been stripped from ASDA's shop floor resulting in colleagues feeling stressed and unable to do their job with store standards deteriorating.

Whilst GMB welcomes this initial investment as a step in the right direction it does not yet go far enough to address both the needs of ASDA colleagues nor the needs of ASDA if it truly wants to be a thriving business once again.

The job of your union is to ensure you have the tools to do your job with dignity and respect and we will continue to campaign to ensure you have what you need to achieve this, including adequate hours, training and support from managers.

From your GMB national forum reps.

Posted on: 14 March 2025

Dear GMB member,

In February, the employment tribunal found that the majority of roles on ASDA shop are of equal value to the roles in their depots. However, the judge did not agree with us that two roles, Edible Grocery (Ambient Replen) and Personal Shopper (Home Shopping Picker) were of equal value.

The GMB committed to doing all we could to push for an appeal in response to these two roles being unsuccessful. However, Leigh Day’s legal team could not find any 'points of law' on which they could establish an appeal.

As much as we disagree with the decision, we can only appeal on points of law, meaning we could not move forward with an appeal. Therefore, we are considering other ways we can obtain the justice we think you deserve.

We cannot promise success, but we can promise we will always try.

Here are 5 key points to address the current state of play for home shoppers and ambient replen colleagues:

1. We have told ASDA that, at this stage, no claim for home shopper and edible grocery roles should be dismissed (withdrawn). Whilst we do not want to give false hope, we still believe there may be scope for some colleagues in these roles to move forward with their claim. Our current advice is that you do not request that your claim be withdrawn and you stay tuned for updates from us.

2. If you are a home shopper or edible grocery colleague, but you have also undertaken another store role for a significant amount of time and that can be independently verified, then you are likely to still have grounds for a claim. This will need to be worked through on a case-by-case basis and we will provide further details of how we could verify this and what we mean by a significant amount of time in due course.

3. The tribunals decision relates to a period from 2008 - 2014, but we know that there have been so many changes to your roles since this time including contract 6, the introduction of Twilight shifts and removal of warehouse nights in some stores. All of these changes (and more) mean there is now a question mark in relation to how the tribunals decision relates to, for example, a day's ambient replenishment colleague. Our legal team now have to work through a process with ASDA and the tribunal to establish exactly which colleagues the decision relates to. We hope to have an update on this in the coming months.

4. Likewise, there are many roles in store whose roles have not yet been assessed. These roles will be considered in the coming months too.

5. Finally, if and when we win the legal battle, ASDA are going to have to correct their pay structure. They will need to ensure that stores colleagues are being paid equally to depot colleagues. We see no reason why ASDA would want to pay home shopping pickers and edible grocery colleagues less than other store colleagues. While the decision means that some colleagues may miss out on some of the back pay, we will campaign for ALL colleagues to receive the fair and correct rate of pay for the job. The difference in pay rates varies but can be between £1:50 - £3 per hour difference. Our members deserve a seat at the table with ASDA when it comes to determining your pay and we will continue to fight for that.

Thank you for your continued patience as we work through the outcome and various decisions in relation to it. We will continue to provide updates as and when we are able to.

Posted on: 12 March 2025

Dear GMB Members,

We know that many of you will have been disappointed by the news that an appeal against the decision that Home Shopping Pickers and Edible Grocery were not found to be of equal value to their depot comparators is not going ahead.

However, I wanted to confirm that even if you fall under one of these roles for your main role there are still circumstances in which you may be entitled to claim back pay.

If you have carried out another role for a significant amount of time and our legal team are able to independently verify this then you may still be covered for the time you have carried out this additional or alternative role.

We also wanted to confirm and remind our members that there are several key roles for which it has not yet been decided whether they are of equal value to their depot comparator, these roles are:

1. Section Leader – All Except Services
2. Fast Lane (Self Service Checkout Host)
3. SFA – Meat In Store
4. SFA - Frozen
5. SFA – Bakery Bought In
6. SFA - Beers, Wines & Spirits
7. SFA – Kiosk
8. Hybrid Checkout
9. Home Shopping Delivery Driver
10. Cash Office Colleague (Cashier)
11. Administrator
12. People Clerks (SFA – Personnel)
13. Security
14. Porter
15. Home Shopping Loader
16. SFA – Canteen
17. SFA – Petrol
18. SFA – Pharmacy
19. SFA – Optical
20. SFA – 1 Hour Photo
21. SFA – Customer Catering
22. Post Office
23. Baker
24. SFA – Meat Bought In

It is also important to remember that the fight for equal pay does not end with back dated settlement payments, if and when we win, ASDA will be required to correct their pay structures moving forward - they will have to ensure that the rates of pay in stores reflect the rates in the depots.

Getting this right requires our members to play an active role in your union. Your voice matters and you have a seat at the table when these discussions start. Don't lose your voice on this important issue.

Nadine Houghton

GMB National Officer for ASDA

Posted on: 10 March 2025

Dear GMB Member,

We have just found out that Leigh Day’s legal team have  not  been able to establish grounds for an appeal for home shopping pickers and edible grocery colleagues in their equal pay claim. This is not the news we were hoping for. 

In February the tribunal decided that home shopping and edible grocery roles were not of equal value to their depot comparator.

We had very much hoped that the lawyers representing our members would be able to identify grounds for an appeal in relation to this decision. Sadly, this has not been the case and will be deeply disappointing for many of our members.

Claimants will receive a client care letter from Leigh Day which explains, in more detail, why the appeal is not being lodged. 

Please remember that for all roles that have not yet been decided (e.g. home shopping driver) the process for determining equal value is still ongoing and no decision has been made.

Please also remember that if you have done any other role, in addition to or outside of home shopping and edible grocery, during the time covered by your claim then you still have a live claim. 

We have organised a webinar for all of our members impacted by this decision for this Friday the 14th at 10am and Monday 17th March at 6pm.

Register for the webinar, Friday 14 March at 10am

Register for the webinar, Monday 17 March at 6pm

We see the work you do every day and know how much you contribute to the business, so understand how frustrating it is that the courts haven’t recognised that value.

We will always stand alongside our members and fight for what we believe is right, so we’re really disappointed this outcome hasn’t provided the justice we all hoped to achieve.

Nadine Houghton

GMB National Officer for ASDA

Posted on: 11 February 2025

Dear GMB member,

Following the landmark judgement in your equal pay case, the GMB have written to ASDA to request settlement talks.

We believe there is a collective solution to resolve this long running dispute and your union would welcome the opportunity to discuss this with your employer.

You can read the letter here: 

asda-settlement-letter-allan-leighton-executive-chairman-of-asda-at-asda-house-7th-february-2025.pdf

We will keep you updated with ASDA's response and next steps in the campaign.

Many thanks,

Nadine Houghton, GMB National Officer for ASDA

Posted on: 6 February 2025

What does it mean if I do or have done one of the twelve successful jobs?

The twelve lead claimant roles which have succeeded are:

• Section Leader (Services)

• Customer Service Desk

• Counters

• Service Host

• Warehouse (store)

• Clothing & Footwear (George)

• Bakery in Store

• Chilled

• Home & Leisure

• Produce

• Checkout Operator

• Process

If you currently do one of these jobs, or you have done one of them within the period of your equal pay claim, then you have won the equal value part of your claim.

The period of your equal pay claim is the six years before your claim was submitted and any time you have worked at ASDA in an hourly paid role since. This is different to the ‘Relevant Period’ which you might have seen referred to in the course of this case. The Relevant Period is August 2008 to June 2014 – the Tribunal looked at the work done by the lead claimants and comparators during this period and it is a snapshot of time used to assess equal value. The period of your claim is individual to you because it will depend on when you started your job, and if applicable when you finished working at ASDA, plus the date you decided to put in your own equal pay claim.

If you are no longer employed by ASDA, but you did one of these jobs before you left ASDA (within the period of your claim) then you have won the equal value part of your claim.

If your claim succeeds overall (and see below for more information about the next steps) you will be entitled to compensation for the time you spent working in one of the above roles within the period of your claim.

What if my job is one of the two job roles that were not successful in the equal value judgment?

The two lead claimant roles which did not win are:

• Edible Grocery

• Personal Shopper

The Employment Tribunal has decided that people who work only in Edible Grocery or only as Personal Shoppers (Pickers) do not perform work of equal value to the men working in ASDA’s depots. In simple terms, these claims have lost. We are extremely disappointed by this part of the Tribunal’s decision. We are giving very careful consideration to whether it can be challenged, along with the team of barristers who have also worked on the case. We cannot give you a definitive answer about an appeal yet, but we will keep you updated. The deadline for any appeal is 14 March 2025.

What if I do (or did) a different job to all of the 14 lead claimant roles?

There are a number of roles that have not yet been assessed. There has been no final decision about unassessed job roles, but we have already agreed with ASDA that as much as possible the Tribunal’s decision should be applied to other claimant roles by agreement. The 12 successful lead claimant roles cover a broad range of duties. We are therefore in a strong position to establish that other roles which are similar or equivalent to those specifically examined by the Tribunal should also be treated as having equal value to the depot worker jobs. If your job role is not on the lead claimant list, this includes you. We expect to have a short case management hearing in March 2025 to talk about the process of applying the judgment to the other job roles and will keep you updated.

What if I do (or have done) a mixture of different jobs?

Firstly, the time period that counts is the six years prior to the date your claim was issued and any time since this date that you have remained working at ASDA in an hourly paid role. If your job changed during this period, it may affect the amount of compensation you are entitled to if at some point you were doing a job that the Tribunal has determined is not of equal value (i.e. Personal Shopper or Edible Grocery). However, you may still claim for time spent employed in another job at ASDA.

Here is a simplified and fictional example of somebody who did a mixture of roles to demonstrate the effect those changes might have on equal pay compensation:

• “Jane” began working as a Process colleague in 2010

• Jane made an equal pay claim in 2015

• Jane continued working as a Process colleague until 2020 then changed to Personal Shopper

• Jane worked as a Personal Shopper until 2022

• Jane then worked as a Home Shopping Delivery Driver until her employment with ASDA ended in 2024.

In this example, as things currently stand, Jane could claim compensation for a total of 12 years work. This is because:

• Jane can claim for 10 years working as a Process colleague because Process is one of the 12 successful job roles (her period of claim began in 2010 and she stopped working in Process in 2020 = 10 years)

• Jane may not be able to claim for her 2 years working as a Personal Shopper (2020 to 2022)

• Jane can claim for 2 years working as a Delivery Driver because this is one of the unassessed job roles (she started as a Driver in 2022 and left ASDA in 2024 = 2 years).

What if my job title was Edible Grocery or Personal Shopper but I regularly worked in other departments?

The Tribunal’s decision to classify the majority, but regrettably not all, of the lead claimants as performing work of equal value has led to a new set of problems. It may be necessary to consider how much time people dedicated to various roles and whether the record of their job title during their employment history is correct. We are aware that some people did a completely different role to their job title, which is another complication.

Although it is not yet clear how Asda and the Tribunal will react to this situation, individual circumstances may play a part; for example, if you always worked in another department and there is a record of this, it could be significant. However, if you occasionally helped out in other departments on an occasional basis this will not make a difference, and even if you regularly worked for several hours in a different role it is unlikely to change the equal value decision relating to your main job role.

I worked the night shift, but I was not doing Edible Grocery, how does the Tribunal’s judgment affect me?

The stage 3 judgment was a decision about the work of the lead claimants. Whilst the starting point is that the results for a particular job role would apply to everyone with that job title, this is not automatic. However, given the amount of time that has been spent deciding equal value, the Tribunal will take some persuading that the stage 3 judgment should not apply to everyone doing the same jobs as the 14 lead claimants.

The Edible Grocery lead claimant worked nights. We know that a significant number of other night shift colleagues are, or were, also classified as doing Edible Grocery work. The results for a particular job role will apply to everyone doing the same job. Therefore, as things stand, it is likely that a successful appeal of the Tribunal’s judgment would be required for colleagues employed as Edible Grocery or Personal Shopper to establish equal value.

Nevertheless, we are aware that it is not entirely straightforward when it comes to night shift work. Some people worked nights but did not do Edible Grocery and/or had a different job title (for example, Chilled or Frozen). The situation is less clear for them, as we may be able to argue that the facts considered by the Tribunal in the stage 3

judgment are not applicable to these claimants. Moreover, we understand that a couple of years ago Asda moved away from nighttime ambient replenishment to ‘Twilight’ replenishment at over 150 stores. This is a further complication.

We are currently looking into all such matters so that we can carefully assess how they might affect our clients’ claims, and if any challenge can be brought. We will keep you updated.

Will the Tribunal’s decision be appealed by ASDA, and if so, how long before the appeal?

As yet, we do not know if ASDA will appeal the Tribunal’s decision. ASDA must submit an appeal to the Employment Appeal Tribunal by 14 March 2025. If ASDA do appeal, then we estimate the appeal could be decided in late 2025 or early 2026. If the appeal goes on to the Court of Appeal, it will likely take another 12 months after that.

For those people in the equal pay claim who remain employed by ASDA, losses will continue to build during this time, so your compensation will continue to increase.

We will defend any appeal ASDA make against the Tribunal’s decision.

Next steps - is the equal pay claim finished now?

Unfortunately, no, it is not over just yet.

However, we have come a long way. We have won the first stage (comparability) and after a lengthy battle we have won the second stage (equal value) for 12 of the 14 lead claimants. Of course, we wish it had been for all 14 and we are deeply disappointed about the two roles that did not succeed.

In the third stage of the equal pay claim the burden of proof shifts to ASDA. This means that ASDA have to show that there is a genuine non-discriminatory reason for paying store roles of equal value less than they pay depot roles. This final stage is called the ‘Material Factor Defence’.

We can anticipate that ASDA will ask the Tribunal for quite a lot of time to prepare their defence. For this reason, it is likely that the Material Factor hearing will not take place until the end of next year. We expect to have a short case management hearing in March 2025 and we should be able to give you more definite information about the timetable after this has taken place.

How much compensation will I receive if my claim wins?

Your entitlement to compensation will be affected by what role(s) you have worked in, as explained above. Unless we are able to successfully challenge the Tribunal’s decision regarding Personal Shoppers and Edible Grocery workers, we cannot claim compensation for any hours worked in these roles.

If your job was one of the roles that have succeeded on equal value, then your compensation will be based on the date you joined the claim and how long you have

worked previous to joining the claim (up to a maximum of 6 years), together with how long you have worked at ASDA before leaving your job or before the claim is finally resolved (whichever is the sooner).

Is there any risk that I will lose money?

The simple answer is no.

If you have made a claim through GMB the union is funding your claim.

Will people who have not put in an equal pay claim get compensation if the group equal pay claim against ASDA wins?

Sometimes people think that they do not need to join the claim to receive compensation. However, there is no guarantee that those who are not part of the claim will benefit if it is successful. Also, it is unlikely that people who have not made an equal pay claim will get their compensation backdated.

Our advice to those who have not joined the claim yet is that it is not too late. If they want to seek an award of compensation that ASDA would be legally obliged to pay, they should join the current group action.

Colleagues wishing to join the claim

If you have colleagues that are not part of the claim it is now essential that they join the GMB and join the claim. They will not be entitled to any back pay if they are not part of the claim and equally as important is the campaign to ensure ASDA are paying their staff equally if and when we win. 

gmb.org.uk/asda-equal-pay-claim

Providing your feedback

We are very keen to hear from our members in relation to their claim, particularly any feedback in relation to the judgement. Please fill in this survey to tell us your views: https://forms.office.com/e/edWv993hZh

Here, you can let us know about any changes to your role, any detail about how your store works and anything you want to feedback to us that you think may impact on the case.

You can also get in touch with Leigh Day directly with questions and comments about your claim by email at AsdaGMB@leighday.co.uk or phone on 0800 689 3289.

Posted on: 3 February 2025

An employment tribunal has found that ASDA are discriminating against the majority of its, mainly women, shop floor workers by paying them less than their depot, mainly male, colleagues.

On Friday 31st January we received the judgement in the latest stage of this long running legal battle which found that 12 out of 14 roles were of equal value to their 'comparators' in the depots.

This is a momentous step forward in the fight for equal pay in ASDA and the wider retail sector.

ASDA will now have to explain to a court why they are paying women shop floor workers less than their mainly male colleagues in the depot, the reason they give can not be discriminatory and we do not believe they have a strong enough argument to justify the difference in pay.

2 of the 14 roles were NOT found to be of equal value, these are Edible Grocery and Home Shopper. We know this is very disappointing result for colleagues in those roles.

GMB are pushing hard for an appeal on these two roles, and we will update you on the progress of this as and when we can.

But ultimately, ASDA are going to have to put its pay structure right moving forward. They will be unable to continue paying shop floor workers less than depot workers if they lose the next stage in the legal battle which we expect they will. In GMB's view, this should cover all store colleagues, not simply those in the winning roles.

GMB is holding webinars for members alongside Leigh Day this week and next, You can register for one of the sessions below:

Thursday 6^th February at 10am

Monday 10^th February at 10am

Monday 10^th February at 6pm

Posted on: 19 December 2024

Dear GMB member,

We believe that some of our members may have been discriminated against by ASDA through the use of the Ambient Home Shopping Trolleys.

If you have used the home shopping trolley, please click on the link below to read about whether you may have a claim against ASDA:

https://www.gmb.org.uk/gmb-union-asda-trolley-discrimination-claim-form

Many thanks,

Nadine Houghton,

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 18 December 2024

Dear GMB member,

The second stage in the legal battle for equal pay for ASDA workers has now finished. Your historic campaign is now a step closer to winning pay justice for tens of thousands of ASDA's shop floor workers.

We now expect to know the outcome from the court in January 2025.

Our members case relies on demonstrating the true value an ASDA shop floor worker brings. Much of this value is often deliberately hidden or ignored by the business, for example the emotional demands of serving customers or the planning and communication required from you, to keep the shops running.

You know the value you bring. Your union does too, and we won't stop fighting until ASDA are forced to recognise what is clear to us all.

Your GMB team want to take this opportunity to wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. We hope to be celebrating with you in 2025 as you get within touching distance of the equal pay victory you all deserve.

In solidarity,

Your GMB ASDA Retail Forum Reps, Health and Safety forum Reps and your GMB National Officer, Nadine Houghton.

Posted on: 17 December 2024

Dear GMB Member,

GMB are aware that stores are asking colleagues to start an hour earlier than their previously scheduled start time in the run up to Christmas and new year. The majority of rota changes are moving colleagues from a 6 or 7am start to an hour earlier.

This is a breach of the colleague flex policy and ASDA are unable to force this short notice rota change on to colleagues.

Of course, there will be colleagues who are happy to start earlier and finish earlier. But if you are unable or unwilling to accommodate the change you are within your rights to inform your manager that you will only be able to attend work at your originally rostered start time.

If you believe your manager is attempting to enforce the change in start time despite you being unable to start earlier, please contact your local or regions GMB representative so they can advise and assist you further.

We will be writing to labour relations to raise this issue on behalf of GMB members.

In solidarity,

Nadine Houghton

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 2 December 2024

Dear GMB Member,

As we are now into winter, the issue of store temperatures, heating and lighting becomes more prevalent.

ASDA’s policy says that if the store heating systems are impaired and the temperature is below 19c on the shop floor and 13c in the warehouse then portable heaters should be provided, through City. Warm up breaks, including a free hot drink, should be accommodated and thermal clothing provided.

If you are working outside PPE must be provided for you to do your job safely, this could include a Hi Vis coat, a thermal hat and gloves and, if required, a full storm coat.

We advise our members to wear the warm clothing provided by the company in extreme cold weather.

If your store is cold and you are not receiving warm clothing / PPE you should contact your local health and safety steward, branch or regional office.

In solidarity,

The ASDA GMB Health and Safety forum

Posted on: 21 October 2024

GMB has won huge changes for ASDA workers through Labour’s new workers’ rights, as set out in the Employment Rights Bill.

Here are some of the changes that will positively impact you, working at ASDA:

Change is coming.

Guaranteed Hours, Less Stress

The new bill ensures that ASDA workers will have a more predictable working pattern through a ‘guaranteed hours offer’. This means ASDA will have to offer you a contract that reflects the hours you actually work (within a reference period) The GMB will be able to support you in getting the right contract for this.

Job Security for the Future

ASDA workers will now have increased protection against unfair dismissal. You now have the right to protection from unfair dismissal from the day you start work (although a probation period will not be protected) Currently you have to wait two years before this protection kicks in.

Fire and Rehire

Gone are the days where ASDA can threaten you with the sack if you don’t accept worse pay or conditions – something they have done in the past. It will soon be unlawful for ASDA to use this tactic to cut your pay and conditions. Making the use of fire and hire unlawful gives you even greater security at work.

Helping Your Union Protect Jobs

ASDA will now have to collectively consult with the GMB where it is proposing to make 20 or more redundancies. Currently ASDA only have to do this where 20 or more redundancies are being proposed in one store. This gives the GMB a better chance of being able to protect jobs and ensure fairness if ASDA try to make cuts.

These rights were fought and won for you by the GMB

The Employment Rights Bill is a result of years of GMB pushing for better employment rights for our members, and now it’s here. Your union will be using these rights to bring you more security and respect in the workplace.

GMB: Always Standing Up for ASDA Workers

Posted on: 30 September 2024

Dear GMB member,

I wanted to share with you a letter which has been sent to ASDA's owners by 159 MP's.

mps-letter-on-pay-discrimination-in-asda.pdf

This letter is calling on ASDA's owners to settle your long running equal pay claim.

Your union is campaigning in parliament and in the workplace to bring about the change you need to see.

GMB members are calling for an end to the pay discrimination they are facing on the shop floor - and now politicians are supporting your calls too.

In solidarity,

Nadine Houghton

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 25 September 2024

Did You Know?

1 in 3 ASDA workers have been attacked at work.

In response, the GMB union has called on the government to strengthen legal protections for shop workers. The Health and Safety Forum reminds everyone of our collective responsibility to create a safe working environment free from violence and abuse.

GMB members have raised several issues regarding Health and Safety and violence in the workplace, on these issues ASDA Guidance is Clear:

• CCTV: Must be operational at all times. Where available, body-worn cameras should be used consistently.
• Security Personnel: Security colleagues should not be assigned non-security tasks. Security hours are allocated based on a Risk Matrix assessing crime levels in your local area. Proper monitoring of individuals entering the building is essential to reduce confrontations.
• Delivery Vans: Must be locked when left at customers' addresses.
• Reporting Incidents: All instances of theft, violence, or abuse must be reported to a line manager immediately.
• In Case of Confrontation: Never follow an offender out of the store. Always back off in instances of violence.

Further Important Updates:

• Future Pick Trolleys: ASDA has agreed to meet with us regarding a new design for future pick trolleys. We will ensure that your safety is prioritized in these discussions.
• Dirty Totes: If you notice dirty totes, we want to hear from you. Totes should be regularly swapped out for clean ones; failure to do so puts both members and customers at risk of illness or injury.

• Reporting Accidents: If you have had an accident at work in recent months, please fill in the form below to help us understand the issues better and advocate for your safety.

https://forms.office.com/e/Yn55STNfCc

Your safety is our priority. Together, we can make ASDA a safer workplace for everyone.

In Solidarity,

Your GMB Union Health and Safety Team

Posted on: 6 September 2024

Dear GMB members,

Retail workers at Next are celebrating winning their six year battle for equal pay.

With 3,500 staff set estimated to be worth £30m in back pay, the outcome is a huge step towards pay justice for retail workers.

As the first collective equal pay case in the sector to reach a decision at tribunal, the chances of ASDA stores colleagues winning their case has just increased, as may ASDA’s desire to settle claims before they reach court.

If ASDA settle outside of court and you have not submitted your claim, you may not be entitled to a penny.

With the next stage of the ASDA equal pay hearing in court between September to December, don’t delay submitting a claim in case it’s too late.

ASDA may fight this to the end, so there is a chance it could go on for another few years. But even if it does, you can get up to 6 years backpay from when you submit a claim so the sooner you do the more money you stand to gain.

Submit your claim today.

gmb.org.uk/asda-equal-pay-claim

GMB members pay 0% fees if we win.

The Next case was presented by solicitors Leigh Day, who are also representing ASDA workers. They expect ASDA colleagues to win too.

Posted on: 15 August 2024

Dear GMB member,

It has been clear, in recent days, that ASDA is facing significant challenges as a business and as your employer.

In an unprecedented move ASDA's chair, Lord Stuart Rose, has publicly called for ASDA's co-owner Mohsin Issa to step aside from the day to day running of the business. ASDA's market share is declining dramatically and like for like sales are down.

Tens of thousands of GMB members jobs are reliant on ASDA becoming, once again, a thriving business.

When ASDA was purchased by TDR Capital (and the Issa Brothers) by saddling ASDA's balance sheet with billions of pounds of debt, we voiced concerns about what this meant for the future of ASDA. Our legitimate concerns were around how ASDA would compete burdened with high debt levels during a time of increased interest rates. Most importantly we were concerned about the impact of all of this on ASDA's loyal workforce.

It gives us no joy to see many of these concerns start to become a reality. On behalf of our members, we want ASDA to thrive.

We do not believe this can happen while ASDA refuses to engage meaningfully with its workers. ASDA must listen to its workers to get it right for its customers.

With a 6th industrial action ballot now launching in yet another store we wonder how long it will take for ASDA's senior management to pay attention to what's really happening on the shop floor.

In solidarity,

Nadine Houghton

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 14 June 2024

GMB was incredibly disappointed to hear about the outsourcing and offshoring of work from ASDA House to Tata Consultancy Services - announced this week.

We know this announcement has concerned and disappointed so many of you, particularly as many of those impacted have worked so hard on the Future Programme and provide vital services to retail.

GMB is very clear that the outsourcing and off shoring of jobs is simply another part of the asset stripping being carried out by ASDA's owners - TDR Capital and that you - as ASDA workers - are being asked to pay the price for this.

What is happening in retail is now happening at ASDA house - something that is deeply concerning to the GMB.

If workers at ASDA house are collectively represented by the GMB then GMB has the right to be collectively consulted on any redundancy and TUPE consultations you may have to go through - we stand up for ASDA workers to ensure you are treated fairly and give you an independent and expert voice at work.

If you haven't already, you can join here www.gmb.org.uk/join

We know you have recently received an email from Hayley Tatum regarding the GMB. As you can see from that email, the issues we are raising publicly are issues that are being raised by many stakeholders across the ASDA business. They are issues that we know, are now impacting head office staff too. We won't apologise for standing up for ASDA workers.

If you would like to discuss any of this directly with me or GMB officials from the Yorkshire region please feel free to call me directly on 07714 239 227.

We will provide further updates.

Many thanks,

Nadine Houghton

GMB National Officer for ASDA

Posted on: 18 December 2023

Dear GMB member,
Tomorrow (Tuesday 19^th December) ASDA bosses will appear in front of the Business and Trade Committee for the third time this year.
MP's will be questioning them on their running of ASDA and ASDA's ownership structure under TDR Capital and the Issa Brothers.
GMB will also be giving evidence.
The hearing starts at 10am with ASDA bosses appearing on the second panel at approximately 10:45.
If you would like to watch the proceedings you can do so by clicking on this link; Parliamentlive.tv - Business and Trade Committee
Many thanks,
Nadine Houghton - GMB National Officer

Posted on: 6 June 2023

Dear GMB member,

I'm writing to update you on the GMB campaign for equal pay for ASDA's retail workers.

Yesterday, at GMB's annual congress your reps met with the deputy leader of the Labour Party - Angela Rayner MP.

Your reps told their stories about what the fight for equal pay means to them. We'll be sharing some of those stories with you very soon.

Your reps told this country's next deputy prime minister what it feels like to know that ASDA value the work of the depot workers more than the retail workers.

Our retail reps asked why it is that they matter less to ASDA?

Why it is that they have been forced to use food banks or spend less time looking after their children because they are paid up to £3 less than depot workers.

Angela gave her full commitment to all ASDA workers fighting for equal pay and we look forward to working with her on this.

Nadine Houghton - GMB National Officer for ASDA

Posted on: 30 May 2023

Dear GMB member,

This morning ASDA announced they are 'merging' with the UK wing of the EG Group. Both companies are jointly owned by TDR Capital and the Issa Brothers.

ASDA was saddled with high levels of debt after it was first brought by TDR Capital and the Issa Brothers. This merger means ASDA is being saddled with even more - which is now being used to pay off EG Group debts.

GMB's first concern is what this means for our members' jobs, pay and conditions.

We believe that the direct consequences of this deal are already being felt by hardworking ASDA workers.

ASDA are using fire & rehire against 7,000 ASDA workers in the Southeast to impose a pay cut of 60p per hour. They have already cut the hours and pay of night colleagues with a move to 'Twilight' night replenishment and ASDA still has big questions to answer about how it is going to correct existing pay structures in light of the ASDA equal pay claims.

We know that store managers are under increasing pressure to save on the wage bill costs and many of you tell us about the increasing pressures you are under to do more, with less.

The GMB will be meeting with ASDA this week where we will be discussing these concerns.

Please be assured that GMB will continue to fight for your interests.

In solidarity,

Nadine Houghton

National Officer

Posted on: 31 January 2023

Dear GMB member,

The fight for Equal Pay in Asda may take a step forward this week as GMB awaits the outcome of the report from the 'independent experts'.

Independent experts are appointed by the tribunal in equal pay cases to assess the work of the comparators and make recommendations about whether the jobs being compared (i.e. the jobs in retail and distribution) are of 'equal value'.

The Independent Experts report gets sent to the lawyers and the tribunal this week. The lawyers on each side then have an opportunity to question the methodology used by the independent experts and can even instruct their own experts if they think the methodology is wrong.

The lawyers acting on behalf of GMB members in the case expect to be able to share the reports with claimants after the 6^th February. The reports are confidential and cannot be shared with anyone who is not part of the case.

We will provide you with a further update as soon as we can.

Given Asda’s continued attempts to cut costs and get more out of workers without valuing them properly, we feel the equal pay case is more important than ever. We will continue to do everything we can to hold Asda to account.

Thank you for your continued support.

Nadine Houghton (GMB National Officer) and the GMB National Reps team.

Posted on: 27 January 2023

Dear GMB member,

Asda have announced proposals to potentially cut over 4,000 jobs as part of changes to their night replenishment process.

Asda will begin collective consultation with the GMB as they move away from a nighttime ambient replenishment process to a 'Twilight' replenishment (between the hours of 7 and midnight) in 184 stores.

The impact of these changes is that, with the removal of the night allowance, a night colleague could see their pay reduced by as much as £300 - £500 a month, if they were to accept moving from night hours to the new 'twilight' hours. Given the new shifts are a significant change in hours and drop in pay we expect Asda to be offering redundancy packages to those colleagues unable to accept the new shifts.

As you would expect, the GMB has huge concerns about the changes. The cut in pay and hours is, of course, our primary concern, but the potential impact on colleagues' health and safety is also worrying. With colleagues finishing work gone midnight, getting home may become more risky and more expensive. Replenishing stock with more customers on the shop floor also poses further Health and Safety risks and we know that local managers are concerned about how ineffective the move will be.

GMB reps will be visiting night colleagues in as many of the affected stores as possible over the coming weeks. We will be surveying our members and seeking your views on the proposals.

If you would like a visit from a GMB rep, please contact your local GMB office.

Our first consultation meeting is scheduled for Thursday 2^nd February, and we will provide you with ongoing updates.

Many thanks.

Nadine Houghton (GMB national officer) and the GMB National Forum Reps.

Posted on: 23 September 2022

Following months of campaigning activity by GMB Union Reps I am very pleased to say that, for now, the GMB campaign to bring down wage errors in Asda is showing results. Wage errors are still not where they need to be but there is a direct link between the work the GMB has been doing on this and the errors coming down, as you can see from the graph below.

You told us that wage errors were impacting negatively on your mental health, some of you even told us that you dreaded pay day. We listened to your concerns and took action by publicising your experiences, engaging politicians and most importantly - negotiating with Asda on how they can get this right.

We are not finished and as you can see there is more work to be done. We are still negotiating on a repayment policy and we need to see wage errors continue to slow. But for now, we are seeing positive steps.

As always though, the proof is in the pudding, it is your feedback that shapes the direction of your union's campaigns - so please continue to tell us how you feel.

Posted on: 16 September 2022

UPDATE ON WORKING ARRANGEMENTS

Dear GMB member,

I wanted to update you on the position we have agreed with Asda regarding BH working arrangements.

The agreement regarding seeking volunteers is as follows:

We’ll be seeking volunteers to fill the small number of colleagues we’ll need to work on Monday. If we are unable to identify enough volunteers, we will seek volunteers from surrounding stores where appropriate before, in exceptional circumstances, having to ask some colleagues to work but we’ll have a discussion about this and explore all possible alternatives. All hours worked on Monday - colleagues will receive enhanced pay. They will be paid their normal base rate plus any other relevant supplements at the equivalent of double time.

We are receiving reports from a handful of areas that management are rostering in only those contracted to work, regardless of whether they have volunteered. As you can see - this is not the agreed policy.

If you are asked to work and are not able to please contact your GMB rep or regional office.

Below are a few additional Q&A's to assist you:

1. What would happen in the following scenario; colleague is rostered to work 10-2 but comes in to work 5-9. Will they be paid double time for the 5-9 shift and normal pay for the 10-2 shift?

The colleague’s shift from 10-2 will need to be removed and the new shift of 5-9 will need to be entered into Customer First. They would not be paid for the hours between 10-2 but will receive the equivalent of double pay for the hours worked between 5-9.

1. Will night colleagues be expected to work on the Sunday 10pm - midnight?

As per the guidance already issued, night colleagues who are scheduled to work but do not wish to work on Sunday 18th September will need to book a holiday, reschedule, or take as unpaid leave for any hours that fall on Sunday 18th September. Any hours that fall between 12:0am (00:00) midnight start of day and 11:59pm (23:59) on Monday 19th September, the day of the funeral will be paid at normal rate if the colleague doesn’t work, for colleagues that do work they will receive enhanced pay.

1. Will colleagues be expected to finish their contracted shift if it is rota'd past 5pm on the Monday?

As per the guidance already issued, colleagues who are scheduled to work but do not wish to work will be paid their normal base rate plus any relevant supplements.

I hope you can make the most of the bank holiday – however you chose to spend it.

NADINE HOUGHTON

NATIONAL OFFICER

Posted on: 15 September 2022

Dear GMB member,

The GMB is concerned that Asda's bank holiday working arrangements will not allow sufficient flexibility to those staff who want to pay their last respects to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth.

Asda have said that stores will open at 5pm, however a skeleton staff will be required, as will a night team, with double time being offered for all hours worked.

The GMB supports the rights of those colleagues wishing to work, however we believe this should be on a purely voluntary basis - no one should be told to come into work and denied their opportunity to mourn, alongside the rest of the nation.

Asda's decision comes as other retailers have decided to close their stores, and in the same week that Sainsbury's have announced a 25p pay increase for shop floor staff to help them with the cost of living.

The GMB is urging Asda to get it right on this. Give staff the right to choose whether they work on the Bank Holiday Monday or not. Allow GMB members to choose for themselves what is right for them and their family on this important day for the nation.

We will update you if we hear anything further on this issue.

NADINE HOUGHTON

NATIONAL OFFICER

Scroll down for other noticeboard updates

19.08.2022

GMB launches campaign for a pay rise in 2023

Following a successful campaign for a pay rise in 2022, we're launching our next pay campaign in ASDA stores. With inflation rising and wages falling in real terms, it's vital we all stick together to campaign for and achieve a pay rise for hard working ASDA colleagues in 2023.

National reps have developed materials to help spread the campaign across the country, all of which you can download and print to use in your local stores.

Download the materials

Nadine Houghton

GMB National Officer

04.08.2022

Wage Errors Update

This week (03/08/22), along with Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves, we met with ASDA management to push them to resolve the common issues with the HRSS system and put in place new ways to process colleagues' wages correctly.

We still have a long way to go, but by working together we are starting to see improvements. Watch the video update here: https://youtu.be/Z2UmmJU2Cr8

In solidarity

Andy Prendergast

GMB National Secretary

18.07.22

Wage Errors Update

GMB has been raising the pressure on ASDA to resolve ongoing issues with wage errors after a survey of members revealed that over 60% of respondents had pay missing from their last pay check and colleagues mental health was suffering as a result.

On Friday (15.07.22) the issue hit the national press, with multiple news outlets reporting that Asda colleagues are having to 'skip household bill payments, take out loans, and even use food banks'.

Politicians across the country have been getting behind ASDA colleagues, with Members of Scottish Parliament calling on ASDA to sort out the issues with SD Worx. The response they received revealed the scale of the problem, with ASDA admitting to 10,806 errors, affecting 5,529 staff in the last month alone.

Shadow Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, met with ASDA Reps last month, where they shared harrowing stories of members up and down the country who as a result of wage errors could not afford to feed their families or pay their bills. As a result, a meeting between the Shadow Chancellor, GMB representatives and ASDA management is scheduled for the first week of August to try and get the company to meet GMB's key demands, including a complete overhaul of the payroll system.

The issue, which effects workers across both retail and distribution, is one that the GMB will not drop until workers are paid the wages they have earnt.

Nadine Houghton

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 18 July 2022

Today we are seeing unprecedented temperatures with most areas being placed under amber and red extreme weather warnings.

This is causing great problems for our members throughout the ASDA network and especially for those driving home shopping vans.

There has been some information sent out to stores relating to the extreme temperatures, along with guidance on how this should be managed.

However, our home shopping drivers are having to drive for 7 to 8 hours in vans without any form of air conditioning. ASDA confirmed that home shopping drivers should be provided with; extra drinking water - including a frozen bottle, hats and sun cream. If you have not been provided with these items, please request them before leaving for your shift.

Previously ASDA have stated that they do not fit air conditioning within Home Shopping Vans due to the additional fuel usage and maintenance costs for the air conditioning unit. Today, some of our drivers are reporting temperatures, within their vans of over 50 degrees centigrade. This is unacceptable and we will be raising the need for air conditioning within the Home Shopping Fleet as a matter of urgency.

GMB are advising members to keep themselves safe during these extremes in temperature and we would suggest the following:

• Keep hydrated, take plenty of water with you when driving a home shopping van.
• Request that uniform rules are relaxed to allow you to wear cooler clothing, however, PPE must always be worn.
• If you feel the temperature outside is too hot and may cause you medical problems, you must raise this with your line manager immediately, if you believe there is a serious risk to your health as a result of working in the heat you can request alternative duties.

The GMB believe that ASDA could be alleviating the stress of working in the heat by reducing your workload, relaxing uniform standards and arranging for alternative duties - where practicable - for those who need it. This is a requirement under the equality act for people with certain medical conditions or pregnant women who could become ill in the heat. You should be able to request a role in store where there is air conditioning if an air conditioned van is unavailable.

If you are concerned with the heat and feel pressured with taking a home shopping van out, please contact your GMB Rep or GMB Region immediately.

Nadine Houghton

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 18 July 2022

Dear GMB member

This week, ASDA have announced a new trial for customer delivery drivers in 30 stores across the country, for a discretionary pay supplement of £1.38 per hour increase in London stores, and £1.50 per hour increase in stores outside of London. This trial started 17th July and is planned to run through to the beginning of January next year.

The supplement is available for all contracted customer delivery drivers, as well as any colleagues who driver bust for all the hours they undertake the role of a home shopping driver.

GMB do not oppose the introduction of enhanced pay for drivers, as it is a role where the colleague is at risk by being on the road, requires a driving licence, has to work alone and many other employers do pay a premium for this position. However, it is still our firm belief that pay should be improved across all colleague areas within ASDA Retail. Only this will enable ASDA to retain colleagues within the business.

Previously GMB has said to ASDA that pay supplements are needed for positions such as drivers due to the role they do and as many of you will remember premium rates have previously been introduced only to be removed by ASDA shortly afterwards.

GMB are concerned that ASDA may only be introducing this pay supplement as there is currently a recruitment and retention issue, as opposed to correctly paying and appreciating drivers for the value of the work they do.

Our members tell us all areas are suffering with staffing issues, from nights to checkouts to day replenishment. It seems that ASDA does not understand that having a full complement of drivers is pointless without the colleagues to fill the shelves and pick the stock in the first place.

If you are impacted by this proposal but feel your pay isn’t correct, or have other issues you would like to talk to GMB about, speak with your local GMB Shop Steward or contact your GMB regional office.

Nadine Houghton

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 17 June 2022

Dear GMB member,

We know that wage errors are a massive issue for you. Over 13,000 Jubilee thank you payments have not been paid this pay day. This is not good enough.

Following pressure and campaigning from the GMB, Asda have agreed to some changes that we hope will alleviate some of the issues. Asda have given a commitment to the GMB that they will:

• Introduce 'Pay Ambassadors' in Retail whose role will be to support line managers understand the pay process.
• Try to find a GDPR compliant way of giving colleagues easy access to punch details.
• Review the repayment policy.
• Introduce 'wage boards' to give a central information point for any wage error updates etc.
• Provide additional training for line managers.
• Try to make pay slips easier to understand.

Whilst these are positive steps, the GMB remains concerned that they will not go far enough. We will continue to monitor the situation and meet weekly with Asda to review progress and hold them to account where there has not been adequate progress.

Asda have told us that anyone waiting for a thank you payment of under £60 will get this paid on Tuesday, anyone with a thank you payment owed over £60 should get this as a bank transfer today.

Thanks for your continued support as we keep fighting to make sure Asda pays you properly.

Nadine Houghton

GMB National Officer.

Posted on: 9 May 2022

Dear Colleagues,

Asda have said they would like to trial changes to its night operation, moving to twilight hours instead. The proposal is to move from the current 10pm Start - 6am Finish model and move to either a 19:00 – 00:00 or 20:00 – 01:00. This would only affect the Ambient, BWS and Frozen departments.

Asda have confirmed that this would be on a purely voluntary basis and any colleagues taking part in the trial would have their pay protected. Any colleague who did not wish to take part could temporally move onto another department.

You cannot be sent to work in another store if you refuse to take part in the voluntary trial and you can not be forced to take part in the trial in your store.

GMB has raised concerns about the potential financial loss for our members if this proposal was to be enacted including the loss of some or all of our members night premium. We are providing Asda with providing from our members, highlighting that the hours are extremely unsociable and could impact negatively on family life.

GMB believe this could have some wider Health and Safety implications going forward, including increased accidents while pallets, cages and stock are on the shop floor at the same time as customers are shopping.

We urge our members to think very carefully before agreeing to volunteer to be part of this trial. We are asking you to think about the long term affect it could possibly have on your finances and work – life balance.

If you are being pressured or told you have to work twilights, please contact either your in-store rep or the GMB directly.

Regards,

Martin Hall Martin Hall GMB ASDA

Chair National Health & Safety Forum

Posted on: 28 March 2022

Dear GMB members,

Asda Retail’s hourly paid colleagues have a clause in their contract around flexible working.

The GMB is concerned that managers are abusing this clause to force our members into making unreasonable changes to their rota.

We would like to remind all members of their rights under the flexible clause of your Asda contract:

• A minimum of 4 weeks’ notice of any change to your rota or department within your 'job family', on a permanent or temporary basis
• This must be equal to and not less than your total contract hours (minus breaks)
• A meeting with your line manager to discuss the proposed changes, and representation from a trained GMB Union representative within that meeting
• Not to be forced to accept any changes which could be considered unreasonable, based on your personal circumstances

There are other steps your management must follow, such as meeting your whole department to discuss the changes, asking for volunteers, and giving colleagues time to think about the proposed change before implementing the 4 weeks’ notice period.

Any of the proposed changes to your rota or department must be considered reasonable and in line with your terms and conditions.

For a better understanding of what reasonable changes mean for you, and to learn more about many of the other guarantees you have regarding the flexible clause, please speak with your local GMB Shop Steward, or contact your regional GMB office for support and advice.

Remember! Do not go into a meeting with management regarding the flexibility clause unless you have a GMB representative to accompany you.

NADINE HOUGHTON

GMB NATIONAL OFFICER

Posted on: 21 March 2022

Dear GMB member,

Over the last few months, Asda Retail have been trialling various different financial incentives for retail delivery drivers in a number of Asda stores across the country. These have included:

• An additional supplement to pay of 90p per hour

• A bonus payment for remaining with Asda for 5 months of £390

• A bonus payment for new hires for staying with Asda for 6 and 12 weeks of £300 each

Asda has now ended these trials and are not intending to continue with these incentives. GMB provided feedback to Asda that ending the financial incentive would lead to delivery drivers leaving.

Throughout the trial period, GMB pointed out that the incentives were simply not enough to encourage drivers to stay.

Asda’s competitor Sainsbury’s pays their retail delivery drivers between £11.50 and £12.55 per hour based on location, far in excess of the £9.36 base rate of pay offered by Asda, even with the financial incentives on top.

Asda’s own feedback from the trial showed that pay was still the biggest reason for delivery drivers to leave in the trial stores, with 84% of the surveyed drivers stating that the pay was still unsatisfactory, and that pay was the most likely factor that would convince a driver to stay.

GMB is calling on Asda to wake up to the fact that their pay is nowhere near good enough, and our members deserve and demand better. Unless Asda increases pay not just for customer delivery drivers, but for all Asda Retail colleagues, they will continue to see the workforce leaving.

We want to force Asda to the table to negotiate on pay, terms and conditions, but in order to do that we need your help to do it. Become a member, or ask a fellow colleague to join GMB, and together we can make a difference.

Speak to your local GMB representative to find out more information about how you can help.

Yours sincerely,

Nadine Houghton

GMB National Officer.

Posted on: 18 January 2022

Dear Asda Aces,

I know that many of you feel like you are 'in the dark' about what happens once you come over to Asda on the 2^nd February.

Asda have informed the GMB they will commence a redundancy consultation with you the week beginning 9^th February. We have not yet seen the business case for this.

You will be invited to three 'one to one' meetings with the Asda 'Customer Trading Managers' - you will have the right to GMB representation during these meetings.

You will be provided with a breakdown of how much redundancy pay you could receive if you are selected for redundancy. You will also be made aware of what alternative positions are available within the store.

The process for selecting who will be chosen for redundancy relies on giving scores to individuals based on certain factors such as sickness, disciplinary, attendance, skills and warnings. The GMB will be consulted to ensure the scoring cannot be done in a way that is discriminatory.

As soon as we have more detail we will again write to you.

In the meantime, please ensure you have spoken to your local GMB representative about providing you with representation during your one-to-one meetings.

Kind regards

NADINE HOUGHTON

GMB NATIONAL OFFICER

Posted on: 25 November 2022

Dear Colleagues,

As you will know, the Asda Aces are due to transfer 'in house' to Asda on the 2nd February with City FM no longer providing cleaning services.

This has an impact on the Asda Aces but it also potentially affects existing Asda colleagues for the following reasons:

1. Asda have, at this stage, said that cleaning will fall within the 'Service' job family, under the 'Our Asda Colleague Contract' this means that former Asda Aces can be directed to work in a customer facing role, but likewise existing Asda staff can be directed to work in a cleaning role.
2. There will be a renewed focus on 'Clean as You Go' with briefings for staff and a 're - prioritisation' on the expectations around 'Clean as You Go'.
3. The GMB has requested a copy of the 'time and motion' study used to determine the allocation of hours for cleaning tasks and we are keen to understand how the current City cleaning model differs from the proposed Asda model.

The GMB is in ongoing consultation with Asda about the impact this will have on existing colleagues, and we will keep you updated as we move through the process.

As always, if you have any questions please raise with your local representative or regional officer.

Kind regards,

NADINE HOUGHTON

GMB NATIONAL OFFICER

Posted on: 24 November 2021

Dear GMB members,

As we have previously updated you, the next step in the equal pay claim was due to start on the 29th November, with an 'equal value' hearing in Manchester.

An equal value hearing is where the jobs of retail and distribution workers are compared for the judge and 'independent experts'

The GMB had planned a pay justice campaign day to coincide with the start of the hearing, however, there has been some progress which means the hearing will now only be held over one day on the 8th December and Asda women will no longer have to give evidence on their job roles in court.

We will provide you with an update on the outcome of this hearing as soon as we have it.

There will be another 'equal value' tribunal hearing after this one, we don't yet know the date for this, but it could be some time.

The GMB is still asking Asda to carry out an Equal Pay Audit as this is something they can do outside of the legal process, please make sure you sign the petition calling on your employer to do this www.gmb.org.uk/Asda-equal-pay-audit-pledge

We will continue to keep you updated.

Nadine Houghton

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 17 November 2021

Dear GMB members,

Following my latest bulletin regarding festive working arrangements, your National Forum reps have now had a chance to discuss Christmas Working arrangements directly with Asda.

Following that discussion, I can confirm the following:

1. All festive bank holidays (Xmas, Boxing and New Years Day) are worked on a purely voluntary basis.
2. All these days can be taken as unpaid leave if you wish.
3. If you want to be paid for these days, you are entitled to request them as leave.
4. If you are normally rostered to work the day on which Xmas day falls you will be paid for that day, even though you are not working.
5. If you do work any of these days you will be paid at double time.

NADINE HOUGHTON

GMB NATIONAL OFFICER

Posted on: 17 November 2021

Dear GMB members

Asda have announced they have begun a consultation to bring the day-to-day cleaning of Asda stores ‘inhouse’, Asda Aces will be transferred in to work for Asda and Asda colleagues will also be asked to carry out ‘Clean as you go’ duties. This includes the cleaning of car park, checkouts, kiosk, optical, pharmacy areas and cleaning that would usually be done by the Asda Ace Janitor. The transfer will happen on the 2^nd February.

There is also proposed to be a reduction in tasks, such as reduced cleaning of the trolley bays, less frequent floor cleaning per week, reduced cleaning of areas such as bakery, and reduction in the cleaning of colleague areas such as offices, training rooms etc.

Because of the reduction in tasks and therefore available hours and the requirement to increase ‘clean as you go’ duties it is likely that some of the Asda Aces will go through a redundancy consultation starting in February.

GMB has many Asda Ace members in CITY, and we will be fighting to ensure that there are as few redundancies as possible by redeploying into roles within Asda stores.

The GMB Asda National Forum will also be meeting with Asda on a weekly basis to scrutinise the proposal and provide feedback to Asda.

We are deeply concerned about the potential impact on current Asda colleagues who will be asked to carry out additional cleaning duties, despite ongoing pressures to stock shelves and serve customers.

NADINE HOUGHTON

GMB NATIONAL OFFICER

Posted on: 11 November 2021

Dear GMB members,

Whilst many of you will already be aware, I wanted to ensure you had sight of the festive working arrangements, as confirmed by Asda:

"Our Christmas Store opening hours are available on the seasonal planning site on OneAsda. Colleagues can enter their store numbers onto the site and it will give them their specific opening hours.

Key Points:

• All colleagues are on ‘Our Asda’ contract, therefore Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day are voluntary including our Seasonal colleagues
• If a colleague chooses not to work the Festive Bank Holidays, they need to book a holiday following the normal process
• Colleagues working the Festive Bank Holidays will receive double time
• Colleagues whose contracted hours fall on the Festive Bank Holidays should be asked first if they would like to work"

As always, any questions or issues, please speak to your local reps or regional officer.

NADINE HOUGHTON

GMB NATIONAL OFFICER

Date: 20/10/2021

Dear GMB members,

I wanted to share with you a letter that I am today sending to Asda's owners - the Issa brothers. The GMB is concerned that saddling Asda with more debt could prove detrimental to our members jobs and conditions. We are seeking an urgent meeting with the Issa brothers to discuss this - and the sale and leaseback of the distribution centres.

Please read below:

'Dear Mohsin and Zuber Issa

I am writing to introduce myself as the new national officer for the GMB responsible for Asda. I'm looking forward to working with you and hope we can begin the relationship in an open and constructive fashion.

I am also writing regarding the sale of the petrol forecourts which has fallen through; leaving Asda now saddled with a further £500m of debt.

This, on top of the sale and leaseback of the distribution centres, compounds uncertainty about the future stability of our members employment.

You will of course be aware of the vital role our members have played throughout the pandemic; you will also know that our members have been through an exceedingly tough time with the imposition of 'Contract 6' in the stores.

Distribution and retail workers are now in short supply, and more than any other time, it makes sense to ensure your loyal colleagues feel secure and valued.

I hope that you can agree to a meeting with GMB representatives to discuss what the added debt and sale and leaseback of the distribution centres means for the future of Asda's staff and what steps you will be taking to secure our members employment considering the financial circumstances.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely'

NADINE HOUGHTON

NATIONAL OFFICER

Date: 30/09/2021

Dear GMB members,

25,000 GMB members are currently suing Asda for Equal Pay.

Asda retail workers are being robbed of £1.50 - £3 for every hour of work you do. Women have died waiting for Asda to do the right thing and pay them equally.

GMB members rightly believe that women in the stores who do work of ‘equal value’ to men in the distribution depots should be paid the same.

An Asda People Director in 2011 is quoted as saying:

"The retail colleague demographic is made up of predominantly part time females who are working at Asda for a secondary income to support the main household bread winner … The Full time bread winners are a minority group of colleagues. … Distribution is different to retail ... The nature of work is physical. This type of workforce had different motivators."

On the 29th November, Asda's women workers will be in court to explain to a judge exactly how and why the work they do in the stores is work of 'equal value' to the work done in the distribution centres.

Will you join the fight for equal pay? Will you take part in campaigning activity on the 29th November to support your colleagues giving evidence in court? If so, drop me a Whatsapp or text on 07714239227 or better still speak to your workplace rep or regional officer.

Asda's policy on pay is sexist. They think that women come to work for a 'secondary income' and that men working in distribution are the 'breadwinners'!!

It's time that GMB members just like you told Asda that now is the time for pay justice for women workers.

In solidarity,

NADINE HOUGHTON

NATIONAL OFFICER

16/06/2021

Dear Colleagues

Asda has recently announced their intention to move the markdowns from AM to PM. A large number of members are currently working an early shift, often at 6am to do the markdowns.

Asda are now asking these colleagues to change their shift start time by up to 12 hours. If you have personal circumstances, such as childcare, that means you cannot make this change then Asda should offer you and alternative on your current hours. If this is not the case, and you are being forced to change shift then please contact your GMB representative ASAP and raise a grievance.

The GMB’s view is, that irrelevant of personal commitments or circumstances that any member may have, giving notice of a new start time of up to 12 hours later than your current start time is not reasonable and cannot be legally enforced.

If you are being forced to significantly change your shift against your will, you also need to raise this as a grievance with Asda and contact your GMB representative to ensure we can provide the representation and see that you are treated fairly and justly.

ROGER JENKINS

GMB NATIONAL OFFICER

03/06/2021

Dear Colleagues

For the past weeks we have been in consultation with ASDA over the proposals to end scratch baking, replace with part baked products and make our skilled bakers redundant.

Thank you for all our members who have told us their views which have been passed on through the consultation to ASDA.

The GMB have stated that ASDA’s position is wrong both industrially and commercially. It is a huge mistake to lose skilled workers from across stores, skills that once lost can never be replaced and not in the interest of customers, removing choice and the ability to purchase truly fresh baked products. A choice that ASDA should be proud of not ending.

The decision of the ASDA board is to go ahead with these redundancies. It is concerning that the board made this decision so quickly after the end of consultation, an indication that ASDA were never willing to consider retaining the skilled workers in the bakeries.

Many bakers are leaving before their notice period ends. GMB requested a thank you payment of £300 to all bakers that stay to the end of their notice period. That request was refused.

We asked for pay protection for those bakers staying with the business as a first option, for red Circling as a second option, ASDA decided on a transitional payment, simply putting off the date when bakers pay would be reduced. We have managed to get this payment extended to 12 months but this still falls short of what our bakers deserve.

Through the consultation a number of improvements and safeguards have been achieved but this doesn’t go far enough. It is a slap across the face for long serving skilled colleagues and does nothing for the future success of ASDA.

It is time the board stopped thinking about just the money and considered their long serving colleagues’ job security and offering real choice to customers.

ROGER JENKINS.

GMB NATIONAL OFFICER

Posted on: 1 November 2021

Dear Asda Colleague,

We've been getting lots of questions about equal pay so here's a list of FAQs:

Q1. I completed my claim form ages ago - what's taking so long?!

A: Great question! In a nutshell, Asda are dragging their colleagues through the courts. Asda have decided to fight the equal pay claims every step of the way. They have already spent millions in legal costs and have lost every legal battle instead of sitting down with the GMB to find a negotiated settlement.

Q2. So, what's happening now?

A: On the 29th November 2021 Asda's women workers are in court to talk about their job role and explain to the court why their jobs are of 'equal value' to the work done by their male counterparts in the distribution centres. This is called an 'equal value' hearing. There will be more of these hearings. Asda can appeal against the outcome of these hearings if the judge finds in the Asda workers’ favour.

Q3. Is there anything else we can be doing to help win equal pay?

A: Absolutely! The GMB is launching a petition calling on Asda to carry out an Equal Pay Audit in partnership with the GMB. An equal pay audit compares the pay of men and women doing equal work in an organisation, doing an audit would demonstrate Asda's commitment to removing unfair pay practices. There is also more we can be doing to campaign in stores and politically to end unequal pay.

You can sign the petition and find out more about the campaign here: www.gmb.org.uk/Asda-equal-pay-audit-pledge

Q4. If we eventually win, how much back pay will I be entitled to?

A: You can only receive back pay if you are part of the claim. A successful claim = up to 6 years back pay from the date your claim starts and back pay from the date the claim starts until the claim is resolved. This could be as much as £40,000 for a worker on 35 hours a week and assumes a £2ph difference between the retail and distribution worker.

Q5. I'm not on the claim so why should I care about Equal Pay?

A: Even if you are not on the claim you stand to benefit. You will not be entitled to back pay BUT Asda will have to put their pay structure right moving forward. The GMB estimates the difference between retail and distribution pay to be between £1:50 and £3ph - Asda would be obliged to reflect this in their pay structure after a successful equal pay win. The more GMB members there are in Asda, the better placed we are to negotiate an improved rate of pay or campaign successfully on Equal Pay.

NADINE HOUGHTON

GMB NATIONAL OFFICER

Posted on: 19 May 2021

Dear Member

MB Meeting- Safety of New ASDA trolleys

A meeting has been arranged for all GMB members that use the new 10 tote ambient trolleys whilst picking Asda home shopping. If you use these trolleys, please join the meeting.

We would like to update you on our involvement, and we would like to hear your feedback.

The meeting is to be held on Monday 24th May at 1.00 p.m.

You will need to register prior to joining the meeting.

Click link to register:

https://gmb-org-uk.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMrcuGorjwuGdJWzhOEe95pPXXj3WUL6xau

Kind regards

Roger Jenkins

GMB National Officer

Posted on: 30 March 2021

Dear Colleagues

GMB, the union for Asda workers has gained a major victory as the Supreme Court ruled in favour of their members.

The ruling means shop floor staff at Asda can be compared to workers in the distribution centre for the purposes of their equal pay claim.

GMB has now called on Asda to meet with them and discuss the next stage in our members’ compensation claim, to stop wasting time and money on legal proceedings and do the right thing by their colleagues.

This is the fourth occasion that Asda has lost a court battle on this issue.

In January 2019, the Court of Appeal ruled that GMB members could compare themselves in this way – upholding the rulings made by an employment tribunal in 2016 and the Employment Appeal Tribunal in 2017.

GMB has enlisted law firm Leigh Day to work the case on behalf of GMB members and the Supreme Court ruling is another major step forward in getting pay justice for thousands of our members.

ROGER JENKINS

GMB NATIONAL OFFICER

Posted on: 26 March 2021

At 9.45am this morning (Friday, 26 March) the Supreme Court handed down judgment in relation to Asda’s appeal of the comparability decision and we are pleased to confirm that you won.

The five Supreme Court justices unanimously decided that the Employment Tribunal, Employment Appeal Tribunal and Court of Appeal were right to dismiss Asda’s argument that store workers cannot compare themselves with distribution workers because they are in different locations and have different pay arrangements.

What does this mean for your claim?

The Supreme Court’s decision means that you can be compared to your colleagues who work in the distribution centres. The was Asda’s final chance to argue that the roles are not comparable and the decision means that you have won the first stage of your equal pay claim.

This appeal relates to the first of three main issues that the Employment Tribunal must decide. As the roles have been found to be comparable the Employment Tribunal now has to decide whether they are of equal value and, if they are, is there a reason other than sex discrimination as to why the roles should not be paid equally.

The equal value part of the claim is already underway, and the next Employment Tribunal hearing will take place on 23rd June to 2nd July.

Zoom Webinar

Our team will be hosting a Zoom webinar to take you through the key points of the judgment and answer any questions you may have in relation to the Asda equal pay claim. If you would like to register your interest in the webinar, please get in touch with us using the contact details provided above.

Got a question?

Contact Leigh Day directly by emailing asdagmb@leighday.co.uk or calling them on 0800 689 3289.

Be aware, because of high levels of traffic at this time it may take us a bit longer than usual to get back to members.

Date: 26/02/2021

Dear Colleagues

You will be aware of the recent announcements by ASDA on a number of proposed redundancies.

With the proposed closures of both Heston and Dartford Home Shopping Centres affecting 789 colleagues and the reorganisation of stores and the back office affecting 3211 colleagues, the GMB have begun 45 days consultation with ASDA on these proposals and we will be engaging with members throughout this period.

ASDA have also announced a reorganisation of management at the Superstores and 16 Supermarkets affecting over 1000 managers.

The GMB stance on these proposals is that only those members that wish to leave ASDA should take redundancy and all others should be offered a suitable alternative position that fits in with their requirements and social responsibilities.

ASDA, unlike much of the Retail Sector, has been able to continue trading throughout the pandemic and continue to make significant profits. This has been achieved due to your commitment and loyalty, working through what has been the most distressing period for both yourselves and your families.

This now has to be recognised by ASDA in protecting your jobs and your futures and the GMB will work tirelessly to achieve this.

If you are in any way affected by these announcements, please speak to your GMB Representative and ensure your voice is heard and your concerns are dealt with.

If you are not a GMB member join today at www.gmb.org.uk/join

Roger Jenkins

GMB National Officer

Date: 19/02/2021

The introduction of the new ambient picking trolleys has caused a great deal of concern for GMB members.

GMB Health and Safety reps have raised these issues to ASDA and several modifications have been made to the trolleys to improve their safety. We continue to work with ASDA to ensure the Safety of our members.

GMB highlighted to ASDA that our members had not received the full training relating to the use of these trolleys. ASDA have accepted there has been a training shortfall and are working to ensure all colleagues are correctly trained to use this equipment safely prior to use.

The main concerns raised by GMB members regarding these trolleys have been around Visibility, Manoeuvrability, and the Control of the Trolley.

GMB need your feedback upon these new trolleys so we can work with ASDA to ensure this equipment is safe to use.

Could you complete the following online feedback form to give GMB your views or concerns regarding the New Ambient Trolley?

Click the link to complete the form: https://bit.ly/3pzFaHt

Roger Jenkins

GMB National Officer

Date: 11/12/2020

Dear member

For a number of weeks, the GMB have been requesting that ASDA close the stores on Boxing Day and give colleagues an extra day’s leave in recognition of the commitment you have all shown as key workers throughout this Covid crisis.

This request was refused, and it was with great surprise that we found out through the press that this decision had been overturned.

We are aware of the confusion the ASDA press release has caused. We unfortunately have to report that Boxing day has not been granted as an extra day's leave and if you wish to take this day off you will be required to book holiday, we have asked for clarification for those that do not have any annual leave remaining, you should receive this shortly; also that the bonus referred to in the ASDA press release is not new and is the payment due to you in February which has already been confirmed.

If you have any further concerns or questions, please ask you GMB Rep.

ROGER JENKINS

GMB NATIONAL OFFICER

Posted on: 21 September 2020

Dear Colleagues,

GMB members in ASDA that have not yet enquired about an equal pay claim should contact their GMB store rep or GMB Regional Office who will provide you with information about how you do that.

We will put you in contact with our solicitors, Leigh Day, and take their advice on submitting your claim for equal pay against ASDA. If Leigh Day considers that a claim can be submitted then, subject to you remaining a fully paid up member of GMB during the period of time the claim is running, GMB will fund your litigation and you will receive 100% of any settlement money that is recovered in the claim. (If you are already with Leigh Day under a different charging arrangement then GMB will not be able to take up the funding of your claim.)

GMB Members must submit their equal pay claim to Leigh Day before 16th October to qualify for the funding.

If you have already registered your claim with Leigh Day but have not returned the information requested by them it is important that this is done as soon as possible.

JOIN GMB BEFORE THE 16TH OCTOBER 2020 AND SUPPORT OUR FIGHT FOR EQUALITY.

Join GMB online

ROGER JENKINS

GMB NATIONAL OFFICER

Date: 14/09/2020

Dear Colleagues

GMB has been supporting equal pay litigation against ASDA for our members via solicitors Leigh Day. Currently over 20,000 members have claims lodged in the Employment Tribunal.

In July 2020 the Supreme Court heard ASDA's latest attempt to overturn the successful judgements the claimants have won in the Employment Tribunal/Employment Appeal Tribunal and Court of Appeal on the issue of comparators in the litigation.

GMB encourages employees at ASDA to join our union for all the reasons we believe all workers should be a member of our Trade union - collectivism - there is strength in numbers, individual representation in the workplace and solidarity, and family - we are all members of the GMB family.

If you join our union before the 16th October 2020, then you will be able to contact our solicitors, Leigh Day, and take their advice on submitting your claim for equal pay against ASDA. If Leigh Day considers that a claim can be submitted then, subject to you remaining a fully paid up member of GMB during the period of time the claim is running, GMB will fund your litigation and you will receive 100% of any settlement money that is recovered in the claim. (If you are already with Leigh Day under a different charging arrangement then GMB will not be able to take up the funding of your claim.)

If you are already a member of GMB and haven't yet enquired about an equal pay claim then please contact your GMB store rep or GMB Regional Office who will provide you with information about how you do that.

JOIN GMB BEFORE THE 16TH OCTOBER 2020 AND SUPPORT OUR FIGHT FOR EQUALITY.

www.gmb.org.uk/join

ROGER JENKINS

GMB NATIONAL OFFICER

Date: 22/05/2020

We are encouraging all GMB members to complete the GMB COVID 19 PPE Survey.

The survey applies to members in both Retail and Distribution.

Closing date of survey is 7th June 2020.

Please click the button below to begin survey.

Take part in the survey

Roger Jenkins
National Officer

Date: 17/04/20

No 5 April 2020

Social distancing and keeping colleagues safe continues to be top of the GMB union agenda in discussions with ASDA. This includes talking about giving colleagues masks and/or visors. Checkout screens have been fitted and modifications to kiosk screens are in the pipeline and other types of screens are being trialled.

We remain concerned about the number of customers being allowed into stores, especially larger groups which make social distancing harder. We’ve asked ASDA to put a limit on groups shopping and we will continue to push for this to happen. GMB reps and members tell us this is important.

Our advice to GMB members is that If you’re stuck in an aisle or area and feel overwhelmed by the number of customers, then excuse yourself. Speak to your manager and GMB rep.

GMB reps have an important role to play in store. Ensuring that social distancing measures are working and if they’re not, raising issues with managers and getting improvements implemented. The safety and well-being of colleagues comes first, this is not business as usual.

The GMB has been talking to ASDA about paying sick pay from day 1 for those colleagues who need to self-isolate for a second period. ASDA has announced this will happen and they have also confirmed that the thank you payment will be paid at actual hours, which we were discussing in our conference calls. This is good news and is to be welcomed.

You can join GMB online at www.gmb.org.uk

Yours sincerely

Gary Carter

GMB National Officer