Workers at luxury fashion retailer Net‑a‑Porter are set to vote on potential strike action after being told their wages will fall short of the London Living Wage, despite what unions say was a previous commitment by the company to adopt the rate.
More than 100 warehouse staff at the company’s fulfilment centre in Charlton, southeast London, will take part in a formal ballot organised by the GMB. The vote will determine whether employees move forward with industrial action in a dispute centred on pay levels and living costs in the capital.
The row comes at a sensitive time for the luxury online retailer, which recently completed a redundancy consultation across parts of its operations.
According to the GMB, Net-a-Porter had committed in 2021 to paying staff the London Living Wage, a voluntary rate calculated annually to reflect the cost of living in the capital.
However, the union claims the company has now proposed a lower hourly rate for its lowest-paid warehouse workers. Under the current offer, staff would receive £14.41 per hour, which the union argues falls short of the level required for workers to maintain a reasonable standard of living in London.
The London Living Wage is set independently by the Living Wage Foundation and is widely adopted by employers seeking to demonstrate fair pay practices in high-cost regions such as London.
Union representatives say the dispute has intensified frustration among warehouse staff already facing heavier workloads and rising household costs.
Craig Prickett, regional organiser for the GMB, said employees were feeling the impact of increasing living expenses and organisational changes within the company.
“For a luxury fashion brand serving wealthy customers around the world, it is simply unacceptable that the people doing the work are struggling to make ends meet in London,” he said.
“Workers are already dealing with rising costs and increasing workloads following the recent restructuring.
“Instead of recognising their contribution, the company has offered a pay proposal that keeps wages well below what is needed to live in London.”
Prickett added that union members would prefer to resolve the dispute through negotiation rather than industrial action, but warned staff were increasingly frustrated.
“GMB members do not want to take strike action, but they deserve fairness, respect and a wage that reflects the cost of their lives in the capital,” he said.
Net-a-Porter operates as part of the global luxury ecommerce sector, selling high-end fashion items and designer accessories to customers worldwide. Products sold through the platform frequently carry premium price tags, with items ranging from handbags costing £9,000 to couture dresses priced above £14,000, as well as jewellery valued at more than £150,000.
The contrast between the company’s luxury positioning and the pay dispute has become a central argument in the union’s campaign.
The Charlton warehouse plays a key role in the retailer’s logistics network, handling orders and shipments for customers across the UK and international markets.
The dispute also follows a recent redundancy process within the business. According to the GMB, some employees who volunteered for redundancy during the consultation were told they could not leave because their roles were considered critical to the company’s operations.
Union representatives say this has contributed to increased workloads for remaining staff, who are now being asked to handle higher volumes of orders during peak trading periods.
The combination of heavier workloads and wage concerns has heightened tensions between employees and management.
The outcome of the strike ballot will determine whether warehouse workers move forward with industrial action.
If members vote in favour, the GMB could coordinate strike activity or other forms of protest in an attempt to pressure the company into revisiting its pay proposal.
Industrial action in the logistics operations of a major online retailer could potentially disrupt fulfilment processes and order deliveries, particularly during busy retail periods.
For now, union officials say they hope the dispute can still be resolved through dialogue before any strike action takes place.
“We want the company to recognise the value of its workforce,” Prickett said. “These workers keep the business running, and they deserve a wage that reflects the cost of living in London.”
Read more:
Net-a-Porter workers ballot for strike action over London Living Wage dispute