Asda workers in Scotland fear staff shortages and increased risk of crime and abuse as a result of the supermarket’s proposal to outsource in-store security to Mitie, GMB has warned.
The trade union claimed many affected workers also remained uncertain about how their pay and benefits would be impacted by the transfer of their jobs to Mitie, when the company takes over security of all 1,700 Asda supermarkets and c-stores later this year.
More than 2,000 Asda workers are to be offered TUPE transfer to Mitie under the proposals, which were announced in January. GMB Scotland polled 100 of them working across Asda’s Scottish stores about their day-to-day experience of crime and abuse.
Over half (56%) believed theft, violence and abuse had “worsened dramatically” over the past 12 months – 76% believed their job was now more dangerous than when they started.
About half (53%) of polled guards said they already felt unsupported and vulnerable in their roles, with “many” saying they were uncertain about what the TUPE transfer would mean for their pay and working conditions.
“This survey must ring alarm bells at the most senior levels of the company,” said GMB Scotland organiser John McCartney. “These are workers putting their personal safety on the line every day but are feeling isolated, vulnerable and unsupported.”
GMB called on Asda to “immediately” order a safety audit to ensure staff and customers feel they are protected and “fully supported” through the process.
“These staff demand every possible protection instead of uncertainty about what the future holds,” McCartney added.
Workers’ existing pay and benefits protected by TUPE
Having reached crisis levels last year, reported incidents of crime and abuse fell in 2025 for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the BRC’s latest crime report in February. It credited increased investment from supermarkets, as well as better collaboration with police and government. However the level remained nearly four times higher than pre-pandemic.
According to Asda’s own figures, there were more than 30,000 reported incidents of theft, crime and abuse in its stores last year.
Asda said that given these figures, the survey findings reinforced the rationale for the partnership with Mitie, which would strengthen in-store security by giving the supermarket access to wider benefits such as Mitie’s 24/7 support and monitoring centre.
Affected workers’ existing pay, benefits and pensions would be protected by the TUPE transfer, it reiterated.
“Like many retailers, we have seen a sharp rise in retail crime and the safety of our colleagues and customers is our absolute priority,” an Asda spokesperson said. “We are taking decisive action to strengthen protection across our stores and investing in a partnership with Mitie to deliver a comprehensive, professionally trained and technology-enhanced security presence.
“This includes SIA-licensed security officers, undercover detectives, rapid response units and dedicated teams for higher-risk locations, all supported by a 24/7 central operations hub to ensure swift, co-ordinated action whenever it’s needed.”
Mitie was approached for comment.
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