Superdrug Abuse

South Elmsall in West Yorkshire used to have a pit - Frickley Colliery - which sustained the local economy. Closed in November 1993, in the final round of pit closures engineered by the Tories, its loss inflicted grievous economic and social damage on the local community.

Anyone who travels in West Yorkshire around Castleford, Normanton or South Elmsall will see what replaced mining - huge warehousing depots which use the M62, M1 and A1 routes to shift their goods. Many ex- miners, desperate for work, passed their HGV licences, and started to work in them.

Superdrug has one of these depots on Stadium Way, South Elmsall, and the bitter dispute which has erupted is one the workers must win.

Last month Unite The Union balloted its 261 members and 86 per cent voted for strike action. The workers started an indefinite strike on Wednesday 4th November.

What is it that drives a group of workers, in the middle of a recession and in the run-up to Christmas, to take such action?

Superdrug want to impose drastic changes to pay and working conditions, including abolishing shift payments which would leave some workers out of pocket by more than £2, 000. That's not all. The management want the power to change and schedule shifts with only seven days' notice and to opt out of the 48-hour European Working Time Directive, designed to prevent employers from forcing workers into doing excessive hours.

It gets worse. They also want to change pension entitlements and cut sick pay. Superdrug presented an ultimatum - accept the new conditions or you will be sacked.

This is management by diktat. The trade union movement needs to give a clear and powerful response.

What can you do?

. Well firstly don't buy from any Superdrug, Savers or The Perfume Shop stores and encourage your neighbours and work colleagues not to. There are over 900 stores in the nations and regions.

Send strong (but not abusive) comments to the CEOs of the company stating that you will not buy from the stores because of the way the workforce at the Superdrug depot in South Elmsall are being treated. Send them to:

A. S. Watson: Jeremy Seigal
Superdrug Stores plc
118 Beddington Lane, Croydon
London CR0 4TB,

Support the Superdrug strikers. Send messages of support and, more importantly, money to:

Superdrug Strike Fund
Unite The Union
55 Calls Lane
Leeds
LS1 7BW

Company profile

Superdrug Stores is the UK's second largest health and beauty retailer (behind Alliance Boots) with more than 910 stores in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Superdrug was founded as a single store in 1966 and later sold to home improvement chain Kingfisher plc in 1987.

Today, Superdrug and its sister chain, discounter Savers, and the Perfume Shop are owned by A. S. Watson (ASW), the retail and manufacturing subsidiary of the Hong Kong-based conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa. The retail chain has been remodelling its existing stores and plans to have as many as 1, 000 shops throughout the UK by the end of 2009.