Mark Todd – Usdaw National Officer says: “The staff are devastated by Lidl’s plans to move their jobs 50 miles down the road. To ensure they are treated with dignity and respect the company must engage with Usdaw, the trade union for Lidl staff.

“It is deeply regrettable that the company continues to refuse to speak to Usdaw. Lidl has so far responded to our reasonable requests for initial talks 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 calling on the company to reconsider.

“We urge Lidl to end their continued opposition to trade unions and meet with Usdaw. In the meantime we are providing our members with the advice and support they need at this difficult time.”

Notes for editors:
 
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest and the fastest growing trade union with over 420,000 members. Membership has increased by more than one-third over the last couple of decades. 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