Asda union deal will improve conditions for agency staff

The Unite union said the aim was to end discrimination and unfair treatment across the Asda's 29 meat and poultry suppliers, employing 6,000 workers.

The union has accused some supermarkets of "abusing" their market power, claiming a two-tier labour market existed, agency staff being on poorer employment conditions than directly-employed workers.

The union said yesterday's move was aimed at ensuring agency staff were paid the same rate as other workers, as well as ending their "semi-permanent" employment status.

Unite's deputy general secretary, Jack Dromey said: "We warmly welcome Asda's pioneering initiative which sends a clear message that one of Britain's biggest supermarkets is determined to put ethical principles into practice.

"For years, supermarkets have driven down costs along their supply chain, tens of thousands of workers paying the price with discriminatory and unfair practices.

"It is wrong to exploit migrant agency workers on poorer conditions of employment and it is wrong to undercut directly employed workers on better conditions of employment. That divides workforces and damages social cohesion in local communities."

An Asda spokesman said: "We believe actions always speak louder than words – that's why when Unite raised concerns a year or so ago we were quick to act.

"Following our own investigation into working conditions in the meat sector, we agreed with Unite that agency workers who do the same work as permanent workers should receive equal pay, and that agency work should not be used as a means of preventing them from accessing the same rights as permanent workers.

"As a result we brought all our suppliers together as a group and presented both Unite's findings and the results of our own investigation. We then met with individual suppliers to discuss the steps they could take to resolve these points of concern."