More than 100 warehouse workers at luxury clothing retailer Net‑a‑Porter will vote on strike action after the luxury online retailer was accused of reneging on a pledge to pay the London Living Wage Foundation’s London Living Wage, according to a ballot organised by the GMB union.

Staff at the company’s warehouse in Charlton are being asked whether they support industrial action following a dispute over pay rates for the lowest paid workers. The ballot covers more than 100 employees and will determine whether the workforce proceeds with strike action.

The GMB union told Retail Gazette that Net-a-Porter committed in 2021 to paying the London Living Wage but has since offered a lower hourly rate. Under the current proposal, the union said, warehouse employees would receive £14.41 per hour, which it argues falls short of the independently calculated living wage for the capital.

The dispute follows a recent restructuring process at the retailer that included redundancies. During that process, the GMB claimed some employees who volunteered to leave the business were refused on the grounds they were considered “too valuable” to the company’s operations.

Craig Prickett, GMB regional organiser, criticised the pay proposal and said workers felt their contribution had not been recognised. “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.

Prickett added that employees had faced rising living costs and heavier workloads after the recent restructuring. He said union members preferred to avoid industrial action but believed the pay offer remained well below what is required to live in the capital.

The outcome of the ballot will determine whether warehouse staff move forward with strike action in the coming weeks, potentially creating disruption at a key distribution site serving the retailer’s international e-commerce operations.

A spokesperson for LuxExperience, the parent company of Net-a-Porter, provided the following comment to Retail Systems: "LuxExperience confirms that we remain engaged in a constructive and ongoing dialogue with our employees and their union representatives. Our fundamental priority is to ensure we operate as a fair employer, providing a comprehensive remuneration package. While no final decisions have been reached regarding the ongoing vote, we are fully committed to collaborating with all stakeholders to reach a positive, sustainable resolution for our teams and the company."

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