Some Nottingham Asda workers missing out on thousands of pounds in pay, says union

Demonstrating workers with a cut out of Manjit Dale, whose firm TDR Capital has a majority stake in Asda
-Credit: (Image: Nottingham Post/ Joel Moore)


Nottingham Asda workers who are "extremely angry" about what they say is equal pay discrimination have protested near one of the supermarket giant's distribution hubs. The GMB union said the predominantly female retail workforce at Asda is paid up to £3.74 an hour less than the mainly male staff in warehouse roles.

Local officials say some Nottinghamshire-based workers should be given thousands, and in some cases tens of thousands, of pounds in backdated pay. The demonstration, near the Asda Home Shopping Centre in Bulwell, comes as the company faces the first day of the final hearing in the long running legal battle for equal pay at the company.

More than 60,000 workers at the supermarket chain took their case to the Employment Tribunal on Monday, September 9, the largest ever private sector equal pay claim. It is the latest stage of a long-running case which began in 2014. Asda said it strongly rejects any claim that its pay rates are influenced by gender.

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GMB Organiser Rachelle Wilkins, who was at the demonstration with several Nottingham Asda workers, said staff and members are "extremely angry" about the situation. "They've been waiting an awful long time for this to come to fruition and really to be paid backpay that they're owed and also their wages in line with distribution staff," she said.

"We've just gone through the worst cost of living crisis in probably two decades and our members could have done with that money."

Adana Godden, regional organiser for GMB, said some workers in Nottinghamshire are entitled to tens of thousands of pounds in backdated pay. "At the minute they are feeling undervalued," she said.

"They're working really really hard and it's almost Christmas, it's demoralising." Lorraine Salmon, who worked in retail positions for the supermarket in Wolstanton, Newcastle-under-Lyme, for 30 years, was present at the demonstration.

She said retail workers did "effectively the same job" as distribution, and could be moved on to shifts in warehouses as part of their contracts. Dennis Taylor, a picker at the Bulwell centre for nine years, added: "It's sad that it's had to drag on for such a long time, it should've been resolved a lot sooner than this.

Adana Godden, GMB regional organiser and Margi Clarke, branch secretary
Adana Godden, GMB regional organiser and Margi Clarke, branch secretary -Credit:Nottingham Post/ Joel Moore

"There's no bitterness and animosity towards anybody from me, as long as it gets resolved. I think people will be made aware [by this demonstration], it's in the public interest."

An Asda spokesperson said: “We fully respect the right of current and former colleagues to bring this case, however, we strongly reject any claim that Asda’s pay rates are influenced by gender. There are numerous different jobs within retail and within warehouses.

"We continue to defend these claims because retail and distribution are two different industry sectors that have their own distinct skill sets and pay structures.”