Mike Walker – Usdaw’s Deputy Divisional Officer for South West England says: “We are taking our successful campaigning to the new Lidl Regional Distribution Centre in Avonmouth, engaging with staff about the problems they face at work and their concerns about not being able to get them resolved without trade union
representation. Some staff at Avonmouth are transferring from the site at Weston-super-Mare, so Usdaw is providing advice and support to our members through that transition.
 
“It is very regrettable that the company continues to refuse to allow our union officials on site to talk to staff in a grown up and civilised way about the benefits of joining Usdaw. Lidl has so far responded to our reasonable requests for initial talks about recognising Usdaw as the union for Lidl staff with a firm ‘thanks, but no thanks’; saying they have chosen ‘not to formally recognise trade unions’. That position unfairly denies the choice of staff to be represented by a trade union, so we are urging the company to reconsider.
 
“Lidl believe they have no issues to address and their existing direct communications to staff are sufficient without the input of an independent trade union. That is not what the staff are telling us. The staff welcome Usdaw campaigners at their workplaces, want the union to be recognised and they don’t feel they are able to raise concerns with management for fear of repercussions.
 
“Good industrial relations are important for business and that requires the staff having a voice, through an independent trade union, so that they get a proper say in their working lives. We urge the company to end their continued opposition to trade unions and meet with Usdaw to talk about recognising us as the trade union for Lidl staff.”
 
Notes for editors:
 
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest and the fastest growing trade union with around 430,000 members. Membership has increased by more than 28% over the decade. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.
 
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter @UsdawUnion