ASDA GOSPORT STRIKE PUSHED BACK ‘AS SHOW OF GOOD FAITH’ AFTER TALKS

Strike now due to commence on Friday 19 January to allow Asda time to respond to GMB position

GMB, the union for Asda workers, can confirm that the strike action set to hit the Gosport superstore has been pushed back by a further four days to Friday 19 January.

The strike was originally scheduled to begin today [12 January] but was pushed back initially to Monday 15 January to allow talks to take place between GMB and Asda bosses, chaired by ACAS.

At these talks, GMB put out its position and Asda have asked to meet again next Thursday [18 January] to respond to these resolutions.

The union has therefore suspended the strike action scheduled for Monday 15, Tuesday 16, Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18 January.

Nicola Nixon, GMB Regional Organiser said:

“GMB have agreed to further push back the strike action at Asda’s Gosport Superstore in a show of good faith following talks with the employer yesterday.

“We are being very clear though that if sufficient progress hasn’t taken place in the meantime and Asda haven’t used this week wisely, our members will be out on strike beginning next Friday.

“Asda top brass may be distracted by what’s going on at the Select Committee [1] but that doesn’t mean they can ignore what is happening at a store-level in Gosport.

“Asda colleagues are continuing to join GMB to be a part of this historic strike action – the first such strike in an Asda store – so the longer this rumbles on, the more union members will be picketing outside the front of the store.

“Our members are bang up for this struggle and we will only delay this strike for so long.”