Asda employees at the supermarket’s Gosport store will begin their 48-hour strike in the early hours of Friday morning in a dispute over working conditions.
GMB members at the Hampshire branch will strike from 00.01am on Friday until 23:59pm on Saturday 10 February over a working environment that they describe as “toxic”.
The union sent Asda 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 last month, however strikes were suspended to allow for talks between the union and the supermarket, which led to a further ballot on the supermarket’s proposals.
However, the GMB said its members at the Gosport store have rejected the supermarket’s counter 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.”
The supermarket is also facing potential strikes at its Brighton Marina and Brighton Hollingbury stores following concerns of how “complaints have not been dealt with by managers” with a consultative ballot being carried out with GMB members.
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