GMB has delayed strike action by Asda workers to allow for last-ditch talks between the union and the employer.
Industrial action at the Asda Gosport Superstore in Hampshire was supposed to take place on January 12 but has now been delayed to January 15.
The strike action will mark the first time a walkout has taken place at any Asda supermarket in the UK.
Up to 100 Gosport workers will walk out on January 15, with further strikes occurring on January 19 and February 11.
The union said the dispute centres around the “members’ treatment at the hands of management”, including wage errors and health and safety concerns.”
GMB hopes the talks will address issues in the store, which members describe as a “toxic atmosphere”.
Asda has also been in talks with the union Usdaw, which announced yesterday that a recognition agreement had been signed for the union to “recruit and represent” the retailer’s c-store and restaurant staff.
GMB regional organiser Nicola Nixon said: “We are pleased that Asda management are taking our members’ views seriously, but saddened that it took the very real threat of industrial action to bring them to the table for serious talks.
“Our members are very clear that they will not hesitate to go on strike on January 15 and into February unless they receive definite commitments that this toxic atmosphere will be brought to an end.
“While it is ultimately the members who will decide if they are satisfied and they who will decide when the dispute ends, Asda needs to come to these last-ditch talks with the sole aim of resolving the issues at hand.”
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