Up to 7 million Asda shoppers could ditch the supermarket over their treatment of workers, new polling released today by Survation for GMB union shows.
Click here for polling release
37% of shoppers said they would be less likely to shop at Asda after hearing the terms of the new contract imposed on Asda workers today.
A total of 34% - up to 6.5 million shoppers - said they would reconsider their Christmas shop at Asda.
Asda claims to have 19 million customers in the UK.
The poll comes on the back of a long campaign by GMB - the union for Asda workers - against a new contract that removes paid breaks and allows Asda to change workers roles, hours, shifts, start and finish times as they please.
Many workers, who have been with Asda for decades, have children, caring responsibilities, other part-time jobs that make such a level of ‘flexibility’ impossible.
Gary Carter, GMB National Officer for Asda, said:
“Asda used to be rooted in family values, this polling shows that’s what Asda shoppers expect.
“Asda customers overwhelmingly want to be served by people who are respected and treated well in their jobs - no one wants to feel bad about doing their shopping, especially at Christmas.
“GMB don't take any joy from this, because our members' jobs depend on people shopping at Asda but people want to feel good about where they shop and clearly could vote with their feet."
Asda could still rethink their plans and simply stop going down this route of imposing punishing new terms on loyal workers who work hard for them every day. GMB is calling on them to do just that.”
