Asda: Staff at Gosport supermarket vote to strike again over "toxic" workplace as resolution talks collapse

GMB union members at the supermarket in Dock Road will be walking out over what has been described as a "toxic" working environment. They will be striking from just after midnight on Friday morning, February 9, until 11.59pm on Saturday, February 10. Plans were in place to stage the protests on January 15 - following an industrial action vote in December - but these were postponed so talks between union representatives and supermarket bosses could be held.

Nicola Nixon, GMB regional organiser, said more than 100 employees will be staging the walkout. she said: "GMB members voted to stand up to their employer in December and they’ve done it again in January and February. Counter proposals have been made to the company to settle the dispute, but Asda has 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.” A joint statement previously published by the union and Asda said the January strikes were "temporarily suspended" so members could vote on the proposals made by the supermarket.

This upcoming walkout is believed to be the first of its kind at any Asda in the UK. According to the Retail Gazette, union members at two other stores on the south coast of England - at Brighton Marina and Brighton Hollingbury - are also mulling over whether to take industrial action. Gosport members raised concerns about treatment given by managers which includes wage errors and health and safety concerns, which employees said contributed to a "toxic" work culture.

Asda said 46 out of the store’s 225 colleagues voted for industrial action, disputing the claims made by the union regarding the number of people walking out. They added that GMB members represent "a minority of colleagues" at the store and said it is "incorrect to suggest their views are reflective of all colleagues that work at the store. "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," a spokesperson said.

"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.”