Lidl has come under fire after making 37 staff redundant at a West London supermarket, only to promise them interviews for jobs at the new store. The supermarket giant described the decision as 'unavoidable' due to a six-month refurbishment, but councillors have expressed dismay at the treatment of workers.
Staff Redundancies at Ivybridge Retail Park
The affected employees worked at the Asda store in Ivybridge Retail Park, which closed on June 5. Lidl had agreed to take over the site, and under TUPE regulations—which protect employees' rights during a transfer—the plan was to transfer all 37 staff members to Lidl under their existing pay, conditions, and benefits. However, an email seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) revealed that Lidl was 'unable to prevent redundancies'.
The company stated: "We want to ensure these colleagues have a clear pathway back to the store. We have advised all affected employees that they will be guaranteed an interview for the new Isleworth store as soon as we begin the recruitment process ahead of our opening."
Consultation Process and Redundancy Decision
Since May, Lidl has engaged in a consultation process with staff to determine the best course of action. The company says that the former Asda site 'requires a closure of over 6 months to refit and refurbish the site to meet Lidl's operational standards', and it is for this reason that redundancies are unavoidable. This means Lidl held a consultation, pledged to avoid redundancies, but then made redundancies for reasons known before the process began.
In an email, a company employee said: "We looked extensively into transferring the affected employees to surrounding Lidl stores; however, due to very limited vacancy availability at nearby locations, we were unfortunately unable to secure alternative employment for them. As a result, the former Asda colleagues were made redundant on 24th June." Lidl declined to provide an official response when contacted.
Councillor Criticizes Lidl's 'Cheap Talk'
Cllr Salman Shaheen, Isleworth ward councillor and Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport and Public Realm, told the LDRS that Lidl's talk is 'cheap'. He said: "I was really looking forward to welcoming Lidl’s arrival in Isleworth – it is important that we have an affordable supermarket serving the Ivybridge estate – but I can no longer do so with any great cheer. I’ve looked into the Middle of Lidl and what I’ve seen is the shoddy treatment of workers who have served our community for many years."
"When Cllr Sue Sampson, Ruth Cadbury MP and I wrote to Lidl, urging them to rule out compulsory redundancies, they told us they’d do everything they could to avoid them. In the end, they’ve done the exact opposite. They’ve made everyone redundant, with no guarantee of getting their old job back, only the paltry promise of an interview, and no protection of workers’ existing pay and conditions as they would have received under TUPE. Lidl’s products may be cheap, but sadly it seems so is their talk."
Future of the Isleworth Store
Lidl maintains that it is committed to completing the transition as efficiently as possible and looks forward to serving the community of Isleworth later this year. The former Asda colleagues have been 'guaranteed [an] interview for positions at the new Isleworth store as soon as recruitment opens', but this does not ensure rehire under the same conditions.
