Primark staff primed for industrial action

Members of the shopworkers’ union Usdaw, employed by Primark clothes stores in Northern Ireland (NI), have temporarily lifted the threat of industrial action in a dispute over the attempt to impose a pay freeze for the second year running. The move came as the company agreed to talks, while the union agreed to re-ballot (due to a technical oversight).

The union has over 700 members in the company’s eight NI stores (over 90% of the workforce) and the original vote for industrial action was a massive 93% to 7%.

Most members earn just £6.84 an hour.