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Asda employees to vote on strike action at three stores
https://www.whatjobs.com/news/united-kingdom/uk-employment-news/asda-employees-to-vote-on-strike-action-at-three-stores
By Nithya Bose in Business News, posted February 18, 2024
Nearly 400 Asda employees are preparing to vote on potential strike action at three additional stores.
The members represented by the GMB Union are scheduled to cast votes from Friday, February 16, to Tuesday, March 5.
The strike is aimed at three Asda stores in Wisbech, Brighton Hollingbury, and Brighton Marina.
It follows a precedent set by a strike at the Gosport store, where workers demonstrated against what has been described as a "toxic" workplace culture.
The union cited reduced work hours, concerns over health and safety protocols, insufficient training, and issues surrounding collective bargaining rights, over pay and work conditions.
Additionally, there's unrest over unresolved equal pay disputes.
GMB has reported that Asda staff are grappling with the impact of approximately 8 million lost working hours over the last two years.
The union attributes this to cost-cutting measures that significantly reduce staff expenses.
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Nadine Houghton, GMB national officer, said: “Asda workers are voting on strike action because they want to see a better, thriving company.
“Meanwhile the Issa Brothers and TDR Capital continue the asset stripping of Asda at pace.
“An estimated eight million hours have been cut from the shop floor in the past two years alone, reducing staff costs by up to tens of millions of pounds.”
She continued: “GMB members want to know why they are being forced to do more work with fewer colleagues and worsening health and safety standards, while Moshin Issa spends millions on mansions and private jets.
“These cuts are not something that Asda workers agreed to nor had any say in.
“That is why they are calling for proper rights for Asda’s largest trade union – GMB – to represent them.”
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