Workers from UK-based supermarket retailer Asda are set to stage a mass protest this month over new work contracts.

The new contracts, Contract Six, will see workers no longer paid for any breaks and forced to work bank holidays in return for £9.00 per hour pay rates.

The contract had previously been voluntary for staff – but members now say they are being strong-armed into signing the new deal.

According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, there are currently six types of contracts Asda staff could be on, even if they work in the same store. Asda is proposing to merge contracts one to five into one contract known as Contract Six.

The contract terms require workers to be flexible about when and what times they work, however it has caused concern for many of the 60,000 members of staff in Asda stores across the country.

Trade union GMB is staging the mass protest which will see Asda workers from across the country gather in Leeds on 14 August 2019.

“The new contract cuts holiday entitlement, slashes bank holiday and night shift pay, and introduces an any time, any place, anywhere culture which risks a hugely damaging impact on the predominately part time, low paid, female workforce, who need flexibility that works for them,” Gary Carter, GMB National Officer, said. “We're calling on Asda to come back to the negotiating table and give this dedicated workforce a fair deal."

A GMB spokesman said that workers have now been told that they have until 2 November 2019 to agree

A spokesperson for Asda commented, “The move enables us to streamline our existing contract base from six different contract types to one, bringing us in line with industry standards and ensuring that everyone doing the same job is on the same contract.”

“We’ve listened to the counter proposals from the GMB and our National Colleague Voice groups and extended the collective consultation period to continue the discussion,” the spokesperson said.

"As a result of the collective consultation process, we have made changes to the proposals, including amending the break rules to minimise the impact of unpaid breaks and increasing the minimum period required to ask a colleague to change department or working pattern to 4 weeks,” the spokesperson said. "We have also agreed a transitional payment for 18 months for any colleagues who would be financially worse off.