EMPLOYEES of Asda have won better union representation than before its takeover by Wal-Mart — the American retailer with a history of anti-union activity — in an agreement between the British supermarket group and the GMB union that has averted a five-day strike.

The deal to forestall strike action, which had been due to start today, came early yesterday, just as Asda was due at the High Court to seek an injunction to stop the strike. The action would have hit stores during one of the busiest weekends of the year, with England playing in the quarter-finals of the football World Cup.

Talks hosted by the TUC between Andy Bond, Asda’s chief executive, and Paul Kenny, the GMB’s general secretary, ended in the early hours. GMB members voted for strike action last week over pay, health and safety issues and national bargaining.

The agreement struck with Asda yesterday sets out provision for a national joint council for distribution staff with a clear remit covering areas of common concern such as health and safety, resolution of disputes, facilities for shop stewards, disciplinary and grievance policy and new depots.

A union official said: “The amount of access we have been given is a return to the days before Wal-Mart and the national body is something we never had in the old days. This is a victory for common sense.”

The joint council will have a consultative role rather than collective bargaining role, but will draft agreements for recognition and local bargaining at some depots over the next three months. Pay discussions will not form part of its remit and will continue to be negotiated locally, but there is a path towards collective bargaining if staff vote for that.

As part of the agreement, Asda has also agreed to give the GMB free access to its distribution sites with facilities for union workplace representatives and the distribution of literature — a key bone of contention with the union, which claimed that Asda had interfered with access in the past.

Mr Kenny said: “This new agreement, which GMB and Asda Wal-Mart have worked very hard to achieve, heralds a new, fresh approach to representation and bargaining between the company and the GMB. It is the clear intention of this new agreement that issues beneficial to the growth of the company and the economic benefit of its employees will be dealt with through the new national joint council.”

David Cheesewright, the chief operating officer of Asda, said: “We’re pleased to have signed an agreement acceptable to both sides to end the current dispute — good news for our customers and colleagues alike.”

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