GMB Trade Union has announced that staff at Asda distribution centres are being balloted over a pay freeze.

ASDA and GMB are also currently locked in a long-running equal pay claim on behalf of 40,000 Asda workers. The dispute concerns whether Asda’s shop floor workforce is to receive equal pay to that of those in the distribution centre.

A spokesperson for Asda said: “The GMB has recently made an additional pay claim on top of a two-year deal which was agreed with them in May.

“As our annual pay negotiations have just begun and discussions are ongoing, any talk of industrial action is premature.”

They added: “In addition, we have responded to the driver shortage by offering all of our existing HGV drivers a £1,000 one-off discretionary incentive retention payment.”

The ballot closes on 20th December.