BURY's two MPs have joined forces to ask Asda to rethink its bid to bring in 'punitive' new contracts for many low-paid staff.

The supermarket giant has stores in the town centre, Pilsworth, Radcliffe.

The GMB union claims the store staff have been threatened with the sack unless they sign 'punitive' deals withdrawing paid breaks and reducing bank holiday pay to £9 an hour.

One Asda worker, who lives in Bury North Labour MP James Frith's constituency and works at Pilsworth in Bury South Independent Ivan Lewis's seat, has written to both politicians asking them to oppose the move.

He told them: "I work nights and am affected drastically by these changes.

"We face a reduction in break times from one hour over an eight-hour shift to just half an hour.

"We will be working more hours for less pay per hour. They will require us to work bank holidays, currently paid at time and a half but reduced to normal pay. The biggest fear is that if you don't sign the new contract then you will be dismissed."

Mr Lewis said: "This is not right. These are low paid staff who cannot afford to sign these new contracts. I have written to Asda's chief executive Roger Burnley."

Mr Frith said: "The changes being imposed on Asda staff include going unpaid for breaks, working bank holidays for standard pay and for some loss of hours. Asda pays the minimum wage for a great many staff. This isn’t good enough!"

An Asda spokesman sad: “This new contract will see Asda invest in a pay increase for 100,000 colleagues, enabling us to deliver better service to our customers.”