Warehouse staff at luxury retailer could strike

MORE THAN 100 workers at the luxury retailer’s Charlton warehouse will vote on whether to walk out over the broken promise. 

Net-A-Porter – which sells high end goods including a £9,000 bag, £14,000 dress and a £158,000 necklace – promised to pay the London Living Wage in 2021 but has now offered workers significantly less. Under current proposals the lowest paid staff will receive £14.41 per hour. 

Meanwhile the designer store just completed a redundancy process in which many workers who volunteered to leave were refused because they were considered ‘too valuable’ to the business. 

Craig Prickett, GMB Regional Organiser, said: “For a luxury fashion brand serving wealthy customers around the world, it is simply unacceptable that the people doing the work are struggling to make ends meet in London.

“Workers are already dealing with rising costs and increasing workloads following the recent restructuring. 

“Instead of recognising their contribution, the company has offered a pay proposal that keeps wages well below what is needed to live in London. 

“GMB members do not want to take strike action, but they deserve fairness, respect and a wage that reflects the cost of their lives in the capital.” 

Net‑a‑Porter’s parent company LuxExperience released a statement in response to the proposed action.

“LuxExperience confirms that we remain engaged in a constructive and ongoing dialogue with our employees and their union representatives. Our fundamental priority is to ensure we operate as a fair employer, providing a comprehensive remuneration package. While no final decisions have been reached regarding the ongoing vote, we are fully committed to collaborating with all stakeholders to reach a positive, sustainable resolution for our teams and the company.”