Asda: "Angry" staff at Gosport store stage historic walkout over "bullying" culture and hours being slashed

Employees at the supermarket in Dock Road began their 24 hour strike early this morning and not been shy with making their voices heard. GMB union members blocked lorries and raised their banners high - with one reading "half empty shelves, not enough staff to stock'em, mum's gone to Iceland". It is thought to be the first strike of its kind at an Asda store, with murmurings of employees at other shops across the UK following suit.

Nicola Nixon, GMB Union regional organiser, told The News: "We’ve got a culture of bullying, poor working conditions, not enough staff to do the jobs that need doing and not enough hours in the store for the staff to do what needs to be done. Health and safety is suffering, staff morale is suffering. We asked for a gesture of goodwill from Asda to acknowledge what is going on, but they said no, which we think is really disappointing.

“Just a few years ago, these people were Covid heroes working during the pandemic. We think they deserve more." Ms Nixon said staff were blocked from parking their cars in the car park during the demonstration. The 54-year-old added that the problems Asda workers are facing are "endemic" across all the stores she looks after. "I’m disappointed with Asda’s response today," she added.

"We tried everything we could to avoid strike action and this really is a last resort, but Asda weren’t willing to meet us even half way. Asda asked us to enter into Acas talks, which we did and did so willingly. We were happy to try and reach an agreement, but we put proposals to Asda which were rejected, and they haven’t come back with anything solid. There have been no solutions from Asda. Everything we have put forward has been turned down."

Industrial action was previously planned in January, but was delayed for last-ditch resolution talks which later collapsed. Jean Foster, a former employee at the Gosport store who worked there for 40 years, said the problems which her former colleagues are facing at the moment is unlike anything she experienced in her 40 years of work. "There are a lot of dedicated people who would not normally do this sort of thing taking action," the 75-year-old said, "they’re so fed up and have been left with no alternative. "They’re doing what they know what they need to do, not just for them, but for people at other stores."

Ms Foster said employee hours have been cut at the store by seven per cent overall, leading to health and safety issues. "Every colleague is doing the work of three colleagues," she added. "It is a real toxic culture in stores, there is bullying. People come to work and want to enjoy their work. Some have been here a lot of years, but now, they said ‘enough is enough’. It has taken an awful lot to get these people out, but today is the day that Asda must realise that these people mean business.

"They’re shattered when they go home. No one wants to come to work and be bullied, no one wants that." Ms Foster said she thinks the slashed hours are all about saving money, and the supermarket rejecting the union's demands was the "last straw" and showed that Asda didn't care about its employees. "There’s no loyalty," she said, "they feel like they’ve been pushed to the limit, the bullying culture has to stop.

"They have been left with no option but to withdraw their labour. They don’t want to, they would have rather sorted it out amicably, but Asda said no. They’re so angry. It’s not about money, it’s about working conditions.”

Asda said the GMB claims about bullying and health and safety breaches at the store are "unsubstantiated", and the business has never received a complaint at the store relating to the accusations. The supermarket giant added that just 46 of the 225 colleagues at the store withdrew their labour, and they encourage anyone who has any concerns about their workplace to raise them as soon as possible. They added that talks were held with the union since late December and the business wants to work "collaboratively" with them.

A spokesperson said: "We are disappointed the GMB have taken this course of action and can reassure our customers that the Gosport store will open as usual this weekend. The majority of colleagues in store are not affiliated with the GMB and will continue to work as normal during this period. Over the course of several weeks, we have taken reasonable and practical action to address the GMB’s concerns.

"This includes undertaking a full health & safety review at the store and providing additional training for colleagues where required. We have also asked the GMB on multiple occasions to share details of the alleged bullying in store so these claims can be investigated. The GMB has not yet provided this information.”