GMB union slams Sainsbury's, Asda tie up
GMB, the trade union that represents Asda workers, has come out in opposition to the proposed Asda/Sainsbury’s merger as the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) releases its damning provisional findings.
“The findings are staggering. We will absolutely oppose any merger that would see hundreds of stores and scores of depots put at risk,” says Tim Roache, GMB General Secretary. "People are waking up today worried about what this means for them. If this merger were allowed to go ahead, we could see thousands of jobs at risk in everything from stores and distribution, to head office and home shopping.”
“Our members - many of whom have worked at Asda for years, if not decades - will continue to support Asda in being the highly successful, standalone business it has been for generations, but it’s increasingly clear from the CMA announcement that isn't compatible with the Sainsbury’s merger plan, which must now be blocked,” he adds.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Sainsbury’s and Asda says that the findings “fundamentally misunderstand how people shop in the UK today and the intensity of competition in the grocery market. The CMA has moved the goalposts and its analysis is inconsistent with comparable cases.”
The tie up would create significant cost savings, which would spark lower prices. “We will be working to understand the rationale behind these findings and will continue to press our case in the coming weeks,” they add.
