Workers in Asda’s Gosport store are set to strike and walk out for 48 hours in the early hours of Friday morning.
GMB members at the south coast superstore will strike from midnight on Friday 9 February until 23:59pm on Saturday 10 February over a working environment that they describe as “toxic”.
The union sent the grocer a document detailing 21 issues in the Gosport store, including claims that fire safety exits had been blocked by rubbish and stock, and that accidents and workplace incidents were “not taken seriously”.
The members first voted to take action in December, however strikes were suspended to allow for talks between the union and Asda, which led to a further ballot on following the supermarket’s proposals.
However, GMB members at the Gosport store have rejected the supermarket’s offer and voted again to take strike action.
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GMB regional organiser Nicola Nixon said that while counter proposals had been made to Asda, it “failed to come back with any improvements.”
“We originally gave Asda until Tuesday as a show of goodwill, but no improved offer materialised and so our strike will now go ahead. Our members are determined to stand up to Asda and their management and say enough is enough. They should be able to come to work without threat of bullying or putting their health, safety and well-being at risk.”
An Asda spokesperson told Grocery Gazette: “We have met the GMB on several occasions recently, including mediation at ACAS, to try and agree a fair solution for all colleagues in Gosport. The proposals we put forward include the appointment of an independent third-party organisation to establish the facts regarding GMB’s complaints and report back jointly to both parties.
“Unfortunately, this proposal was rejected by the GMB membership. As most Gosport colleagues are not members of the GMB and will continue to work as normal during this period, we are confident there will be minimal disruption to our operations.”
It comes as Asda employees at its Wisbech branch are due to vote in a ballot amid claims by GMB of workers facing a cut in hours and “management bullying”.
Two further Asda superstores in Brighton have been undergoing consultative ballots to gauge support for strike action after claims “complaints have not been dealt with by managers”.
1 Comment. Leave new
Managers bullying colleagues is the tip of the iceberg in asda. Dirty stores, empty shelves, prices rising faster than any other chain. This all stems from the pressure working it’s way down from the owners and shop floor colleagues bear the brunt of it.