Asda is facing more industrial action as GMB members at its Skelton superstore in in Saltburn-by-the-Sea backed strike action in an indicative ballot.
88 per cent of GMB members in Skelton voted, with 86 per cent supporting strike action.
This is understood to be the sixth consultative ballot carried out across Asda stores in recent months, GMB said 88% of its members in Skelton voted. A formal strike ballot will now open today (15 August) and close on 9 September.
The union said that any industrial action would take place later in September.
GMB organiser Louise Race said: “The strength of this mandate shows that Skelton workers, like other Asda colleagues around the country, want to see union recognition and equal pay for Asda retail workers.”
An Asda spokesperson said: “In Skelton, the GMB have not raised any specific issues with store management. We value feedback from our colleagues and will continue to work with all our colleagues in Skelton, including the GMB, on any store-specific matters.”
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It comes as GMB is set to take its equal pay claim against Asda to the High Court on 9 September.
The spokesperson said: “At Asda male and female colleagues doing the same jobs in stores are paid the same and this is equally true in our distribution centres. We continue to defend these claims because retail and distribution are very different sectors, with their own distinct skill sets and rates of pay.”
The grocery retailer has been hit with a wave of industrial action over pay and working conditions in recent months. Five stores have faced strikes: Brighton Marina, Brighton Hollingbury, Wisbech, Lowestoft, and Gosport.
It comes as fresh data showed that Asda sales plunged 6% in the 12 weeks to 4 August. The Kantar data showed that the supermarket’s market share has plummeted from 13.7% to 12.6% over the past year.
Asda has been contacted for comment.
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