The notice was filed by the retail directors and was approved by the High Court, which will give the business 10 days’ breathing space to find a rescue deal.
Usdaw National Officer Bally Auluk said: “It has been an incredibly distressing week for Poundland staff who have had to watch from the sidelines as a multi-billion pound company jeopardises their livelihoods as it tries to extract £30m from a business it bought for £1.
“Poundland’s managing director Barry Williams reluctantly filed a notice of intention, to give the business time to find a rescue deal and prevent Gordon Brothers from breaking up the business.
“We are urging Gordon Brothers to reconsider and to prioritise a unified buyer who will protect the livelihoods of 11,000 people.”
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is one of the fastest growing unions in the TUC and the UK's fifth biggest with around 370,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also represents many workers in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades www.usdaw.org.uk
For Usdaw press releases visit: www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Bluesky @usdawunion.bsky.social and Twitter/X @UsdawUnion