"ASOS, Boohoo and the Fast Fashion Workers Fighting to Unionise", 3 March 2020

In 2010... ASOS opened a new warehouse in Barnsley... [T]he GMB regional organiser... [said] "We found out quite quickly that the working practices were really, really poor there."... Workers who alleged bullying and racism, worsening mental health conditions, and even one who had a heart attack... all hoped to gain union recognition... In 2016, Buzzfeed News... claimed that workers... had their toilet and water breaks limited, and... pay was docked if they were a minute late... XPO Logistics... [who] runs the warehouse for ASOS – denied the claims.... [A]mbulance call-outs to the warehouse happened once a week...

GMB say ASOS wouldn't meet... to discuss the union efforts... In 2017... XPO Logistics... voluntarily agreed to sign a deal with Community Union... GMB accused ASOS of... recognising a... more sympathetic union... [with] only four members in the warehouse... and that its recognition agreement contains a no-strike clause... The Trade Union Congress Disputes Committee found that Community Union "clearly and significantly breached"... guidelines...

ASOS told VICE, "... [W]e take concerns about employee welfare... extremely seriously. We are committed to protecting freedom of association... including in our fulfilment centres, and in 2017 we voluntarily recognised the Community trade union at our Barnsley site..."

... XPO Logistics... [said]: "... [T]he safety and well-being of our colleagues is our top priority. At XPO, we have a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination and harassment, and all complaints are promptly investigated."..

[T]he Union of Shop Distributive and Allied Workers is... responding to calls from employees to unionise Boohoo's call centre in Burnley and its head office in Manchester... [A]t the Burnley call centre... "[Staff] are saying things like 12-hours shifts, health and safety being compromised... But... [when it comes to unionisation], the owners... have been absolutely clear: over my dead body."... Boohoo [said]... "Shift patterns... include appropriate break times... "As we have previously stated we have consulted our team at Burnley repeatedly... Their view remains that they do not need or want the representation of a Trade Union."...