ASDA workers have hit out at ‘Scrooge’ bosses after being told they face losing wages if they take Boxing Day off.

The supermarket giant had announced that all of its UK stores will be closed on December 26 to give employees the chance to stay at home with their families and in recognition of their efforts during the Covid pandemic.

However, workers at the Barrhead and Newton Mearns branches have since been told they must use their annual holiday entitlement or take it as unpaid leave if they want Saturday off.

One fed-up employee at the Barrhead store said: “This is not the generous gesture that it seemed at first and is not very fair, in my opinion.

“When I first heard about the closure, I thought it was great that we were having an extra day off and getting paid for it.

“I then got a phone call to tell me that, if I wanted the day off, I had to take it as a holiday or unpaid leave.

“They then said that, if I didn’t want the day off, I could come in and stack the shelves.

“Surely they can afford to give us the day off?

“I feel it’s a kick in the teeth after the long hours we have worked during the pandemic to keep stores open.”

The proposal to make staff use their holidays or take unpaid leave has been criticised by two major trade unions.

Roger Jenkins, GMB national officer, told the Barrhead News: “We requested some weeks ago that Asda close on Boxing Day, with a day’s pay made as a recognition of the horrendous time retail workers have been through over the last nine months.

“Asda workers who want to spend quality time with their loved ones over Christmas now have a stark choice – take a day’s leave or lose a day’s pay.

“Quite frankly, we think that’s no recognition at all."

A spokesman for shopworkers’ union Usdaw added: “We have been calling on retailers to close on Boxing Day to give their staff a decent Christmas break, which is even more important after such a tough year.

Asda bosses have defended the arrangements for Boxing Day.

A spokesperson said: “Our colleagues have worked extremely hard this year and have not been able to see friends and family for much of it.

“That is why we made the decision to close our stores on Boxing Day to offer thousands of colleagues the chance to have an extended break over the festive period.”