Asda faces potential industrial action as GMB Union ballots workers over Asda’s failure to make a meaningful pay offer.
The supermarket giant failed to offer distribution staff a meaningful pay offer - which, with inflation rampant, is a kick in the teeth for their key workers.
In 2020 Asda's directors trousered £12.6 million in pay and share based payments - a whopping 30 per cent increase on the previous year.
Meanwhile the company turned an operating profit of £486 million in the year to 31 December 2020.
ASDA and GMB are currently locked in a long-running equal pay claim on behalf of 40,000 Asda workers over whether the predominantly female shop floor workforce deserves equal pay to that of those in the distribution centre.
The ballot closes on 20 December.
Nadine Houghton, GMB National Officer, said:
“Asda workers turned up throughout the covid pandemic risking their lives to keep the nation fed – as well as helping the company turn a profit of almost £500 million.
"Staff who saw colleagues lose their lives to covid are not having their legitimate demands for a pay rise treated seriously.
"Asda now say GMB members pay claim is 'unaffordable' and yet their hard work and sacrifice helped directors trouser almost £10 million between them.
“It’s a disgrace – we urge Asda workers to fight for what they deserve and vote YES for a ballot for industrial action.”
