Usdaw seeks Protective Award for Woolworths staff over lack of consultation

Usdaw is making a claim to the Employment Tribunal for a Protective Award on behalf of Woolworths members in the retail stores and distribution centres who are covered by USDAWS bargaining agreements.

John Gorle, Usdaw National Officer said: "We believe that there were serious legal breaches by the administrator, Deloitte, who failed to provide the Union with essential information and failed to consult in a meaningful way.

"Employees gave their all in the final days of trading in very difficult circumstances and were entitled to be treated better than this. Usdaw will now be taking the legal route to send a message to all administrators that the union is here to defend our members' rights. "Our members have not only lost their jobs but have also lost out on their contractual severance payments because of the state of the Company's finances.

Protective Awards are guaranteed to a limited extent from public funds. We hope that this action will put a little more money in the pockets of the staff who must be finding it difficult to make ends meet."