Staff at Asda’s Gosport superstore have pushed back their strike plans following talks between GMB Union and Asda bosses “as show of good faith”.
The strike is now due to take place on 19 January to allow the supermarket time to respond to GMB’s position, according to the trade union.
The walkout was originally scheduled to start on 12 January but was initially postponed until 15 January to allow the discussions, chaired by ACAS to take place.
At the talks, GMB put out its position and the retailer asked to meet again on 18 January to respond to these resolutions.
The union has therefore suspended the strikes scheduled for 15 January, 16 January 17 January and 18 January.
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GMB regional organiser Nicola Nixon said: “GMB have agreed to further push back the strike action at Asda’s Gosport Superstore in a show of good faith following talks with the employer yesterday.
“We are being very clear though that if sufficient progress hasn’t taken place in the meantime and Asda haven’t used this week wisely, our members will be out on strike beginning next Friday.”
She added: “Asda top brass may be distracted by what’s going on at the select committee but that doesn’t mean they can ignore what is happening at a store-level in Gosport.
“Asda colleagues are continuing to join GMB to be a part of this historic strike action – the first such strike in an Asda store – so the longer this rumbles on, the more union members will be picketing outside the front of the store.
“Our members are bang up for this struggle and we will only delay this strike for so long.”
Earlier this week, Asda’s private equity owners, TDR Capital, were grilled by MPs over the supermarket’s debt pile, a lack of transparency and workers’ rights at a Business and Trade select committee hearing.
Top bosses at the private equity firm were called in front of MPs to examine whether or not there was a “debt bomb” forming under the UK high street because of the private equity business model.
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