More High Street gloom


The High Street has been dealt another hammer blow with the announcement that retailer Marks & Spencer is due to close more stores, despite it being only two months since it announced a previous round of closures. 


The latest plans involve closing a further 17 stores, putting 1,045 jobs at risk. 


Shopworkers’ union Usdaw has called on the retail giant, whose management refuses to recognise unions, to immediately open up a dialogue to ensure staff are properly represented.


David Gill, Usdaw national officer, said that the current fourth wave of M&S closures is “devastating news” for the staff in those stores, while the uncertainty continues for everyone else. 


He said that the union has thousands of members working for M&S. “We again urge M&S management to abandon their long-held resistance to recognising Usdaw as the union to represent its staff,” he said. 


The GMB general union, which represents some M&S workers, attacked the government for doing nothing to help retailers and the low paid who are at the sharp end. Gary Carter, GMB national officer, said that 2019 has started “exactly where we left off last year; with more retail jobs under threat”.


Thousands more retail jobs are at risk, thanks to the proposed Asda-Sainsbury’s merger which could result in the sell-off of stores. 


A decision on the merger by the CMA competition watchdog is imminent.

https://www.talkingretail.com/news/industry-news/ms-reveals-17-stores-will-close-15-01-2019

https://www.usdaw.org.uk/About-Us/News/2019/Jan/MS-piecemeal-reorganisation-claims-a-further-17-st