Thousands of Asda workers back strike action over pay dispute
Asda workers have voted in favour of strike action in a consultative ballot, with the GMB union saying staff were being “asked to swallow a real terms pay cut.”
In a ballot of 8,000 GMB members including driver, warehouse and clerical roles, 95 per cent indicated they were in support of industrial action.
Staff have criticised the supermarket’s plans to lose sick pay entitlement to the first three days of paid sick pay in any sickness absence and the last 13 to 26 weeks of sick pay.
The union said it will now meet with members to discuss next steps.
Nadine Houghton, GMB national officer, said: “This ballot result show how angry Asda workers are. They’re being asked to swallow a real terms pay cut while Asda’s top brass give themselves a hefty pay rise. There’s no way these keyworkers should be forced into self-funding their own pay rise via cuts to their sick pay. “
The supermarket said it had made two improved pay offers to raise warehouse wages to up to £13.89 per hour and driver wages to up to £16.25 per hour but was “disappointed these were rejected by the GMB without giving their members the chance to vote on the proposal.”
An Asda spokesperson added: “We will continue discussions with the GMB, including independent conciliation and arbitration at ACAS if necessary, as part of the agreed dispute resolution process.”
The news comes as the consultative vote on industrial action was announced in April.
