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ASOS’s monstrous profits have come from putting workers at risk during the covid-19 pandemic.
The fast fashion giant today announced profits has risen a whopping 329%, in a bumper £141 Million payday for its shareholders.
ASOS continued trading throughout lockdown – when many competitors shut warehouses to keep workers – and the public – safe.
British online fashion retailer ASOS reported a quadrupling in full-year profit, benefiting from strong demand during the COVID-19 pandemic and forecast more improvement in the 2020-21 year https://t.co/mk3tVTpWnZ
— Reuters UK (@ReutersUK) October 14, 2020
A GMB survey of 500 ASOS workers in March revealed 98% of them felt unsafe at work – saying they felt like ‘rats in a ‘cradle of disease’.
Then in May there was a suspected outbreak of Coronavirus the same warehouse.
Neil Derrick, GMB Regional Secretary, said:
“Let’s be clear - the way these monstrous profits have been made is immoral.
“These shareholders dividends come from risking the health of workers in the worst pandemic this country has seen since the Spanish Flu.
“It’s an almost Victorian work practice, where workers face real risk to their health or they don’t get paid.
The impact on workers of us switching to shopping online. @itvjoel on the @Asos warehouse in Grimethorpe, Barnsley where workers claim they are unsafe.
— Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) March 31, 2020
But Asos denies its warehouse is a 'cradle of disease' https://t.co/YR5mWtgwin
“Asos should immediately use these profits to help implement a safer working environment and better PPE for their petrified staff.
“They should also reward their workers who have needlessly put their lives at risk by pumping this money into a pay rise, it is the very least they deserve”.