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Thousands of angry Asda staff are due to take part in protests up and down the country today - following the imposition of a controversial new contract.

Last month, how the supermarket-giant is imposing the so-called 'flexible' Contract 6 across the board - with staff being forced to sign it or face the sack.

Under the new terms, employees will no longer be paid for their breaks and will be made to work Bank Holidays in exchange for £9 an hour.

Now GMB Union has organised a nationwide protest at stores up and down the º£½ÇÊÓƵ over new claims that Asda is 'punishing' workers who have not signed the new contract by taking away their sick pay.

The union has revealed that Asda has told workers who are yet to sign Contract 6 will not be paid for any sick leave until they do.

Now organised protests are due to take place at Asda stores in Liverpool, London, Hull, Crewe, Dundee, Sheffield, Glasgow, Cwbran, South Sheilds, Sheffield, Stockport, Portsmouth, Livingston and Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Gary Carter, GMB National Officer, said: "Asda workers already feel like they are being treated like dirt over this damaging new contract.

"Now they are being punished again – if they stand up for their rights, do not sign up to the inferior terms, Asda have said they won't get their contractual sick pay.

"By imposing this new contract with the contractual changes it brings, Asda are forcing people to choose between looking after their disabled son, elderly mother or vulnerable wife and losing their job – it’s just not right. 

"We’re calling on Asda to respect its workforce and offer dedicated, long-serving staff a better deal."

Today's protests come after more than 1,000 Asda workers from across the country gathered in Leeds last month in anger at the new contracts.

At the time of the Leeds protest, Asda : “The retail sector is undergoing significant change and it is important that we are able to keep pace with these changes.

“The overwhelming majority of our colleagues have signed onto the new contracts and while we appreciate that some of our colleagues find the changes more unsettling, we do not want any of them to leave.

“We have been clear that we understand colleagues have commitments outside of work and will not be asking them to constantly move the time they work, their days or departments. Any changes will be with at least four weeks’ notice.

”This contract is about increasing the take-home pay of more than 100,000 retail colleagues, through an investment of more than £80m, and ensuring that everyone doing the same job is on the same terms and conditions.”