SAINSBURY'S staff fear they will lose up to £3,000 a year from their salary if contract changes go ahead.

Unite the Union has hit out at the supermarket for failing to extend a consultation period over plans to axe workers' premium pay on Sundays and cut paid breaks.

However the company claims the union had a seat at the table during the entire process and said the consultation had come to a natural conclusion.

Joe Clarke, the Unite the Union officer for food and drink, said: "Bosses have cut short the consultation extension over the plans which will leave thousands out of pocket while still holding a gun to workers’ heads with the threat of sign up to the new contract or be out of a job.

“Sainsbury’s needs to stop threatening loyal hardworking staff with the dole and start engaging more positively with Unite by giving workers the assurances they have been seeking.”

But a Sainsbury's spokesman said: "We informed Unite that we had no grounds to continue consultation.

"We have conducted meaningful consultation with colleagues and have invested a further £10million on top of the original £100million to make changes in response to their feedback."

Unite the Union said it is seeking legal advice to see whether Sainsbury's has failed to meaningfully consult on the plans, although the supermarket argued that the claim had no legal merit.

The contract changes are due to come into effect in September.