Dozens of Asda workers are set to demonstrate outside its Clapham store over alleged cuts to hours.

According to GMB, which represents the south west London-based workers, they plan to stand for a photocall with a life-size cut out of TDR Capital founding partner Manjit Dale to demonstrate “anger over the asset stripping of the supermarket”.

The trade union estimates that in the past two years around seven per cent of the hours in the store have been cut, claiming that the move aims to help service the company's "debt mountain" under Asda's private equity owners TDR Capital.

An Asda spokesperson told Retail Systems that it is investing an additional £30 million during the remainder of the year to improve the in-store experience.

"This includes putting extra hours into store to help colleagues provide an even better service to customers," they added.

In response to GMB's claims of the supermarket "asset stripping", the spokesperson said that since acquiring the company in 2021, the shareholders have invested £3.8 billion to grow the business organically and via strategic acquisitions.

"This includes launching Asda Express, a nationwide chain of convenience stores, Asda Rewards, a successful loyalty programme now used by six million customers, and a £415 million investment in retail pay to make Asda the highest-paying traditional supermarket," they continued.

GMB also said that Asda’s shop floor workers – who are predominantly women – are also still “owed billions of pounds” in back pay through their equal pay claim.

The organisation claims that in the Clapham store this amounts to £1.8 million owed to current and previous Asda workers.

Responding to the equal pay claim, an Asda spokesperson said: “At Asda, male and female colleagues doing the same jobs in stores are paid the same and this is equally true in our distribution centres. We continue to defend these claims because retail and distribution are very different sectors, with their own distinct skill sets and rates of pay.”

TDR Capital declined to comment on the claims made by GMB or the worker demonstration.

Nadine Houghton, GMB national officer, said that its figures show the impact that cutting hours is having on local Asda stores.

“This is daylight robbery of a much-loved British institution with Asda workers and customers paying the price for TDR Capital’s financial engineering," she said. “TDR Capital are behaving like robber barons and fast becoming the unacceptable face of UK capitalism."

The demonstration is planned for Tuesday 30 July.

In May, workers at Asda Lowestoft went on strike for 48 hours over what was described as a “litany of workplace issues”.

At the time, Asda said that only 122 members of the 260-strong workforce at the store had voted in favour of strike action.

Workers took action over a number of issues, including cuts to hours, “bullying management”, and poor quality training.

They also alleged that health and safety issues were not being addressed, with fire safety breaches “rampant”, and said that equal pay is not being resolved in a timely manner.

In February, two Asda superstores in Brighton were balloted after workers said that they were unhappy about a series of complaints that had not been dealt with by managers.

Issues raised include a lack of hours, poor contracts, health and safety not being dealt with in a timely matter, high turnover of staff placing pressure on remaining staff, and staff training that is "not fit for purpose".

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