Apple goes for union busting in the UK
01. January 0001Staff in Apple stores in the UK face union busting tactics
In a recent article by Polly Smythe published by Novara Media she describes how Apple retail workers in the UK are accusing the company of union-busting tactics. Anti-union meetings have been held in at least 12 Apple stores across the country, according to the United Tech and Allied Workers (UTAW), a branch of the Communications Workers Union.
Workers report that Apple has prohibited them from discussing unions at work, held misleading and intimidating anti-union team meetings, and instructed managers to hold one-on-one meetings to spread the company’s hostile position. In recent months, daily meetings known as “downloads,” which are used to discuss company news and share the day’s targets with staff, have been repurposed as captive audience meetings where management delivers Apple’s anti-union message.
Workers are organising for better pay and greater pay transparency, fairer scheduling, a say over long opening hours and short turnaround times between shifts, and protection against unfair disciplinaries. In November 2022, an Apple store in Glasgow became the first in the UK to unionise, followed by a request for voluntary recognition at Apple’s White City store.