Over 200 workers at one of Boohoo's giant warehouses have lodged a collective grievance against "unconscionable" shift changes.
Unite said the changes at the fashion group's base in Crick, Northamptonshire, will leave the 'workforce having only one weekend off in every five'. The union added that the new shift patterns 'will also leave workers with fragmented single days off'.
However Boohoo said this claim was incorrect and that the proposed shift pattern is for a three-on / three-off basis.
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Manchester-headquartered Boohoo said it has started a 45-day consultation process with the impacted employees and added that the workers are currently paid £10.71 per hour for a day shift and £12.24 for a night shift, which is due to increase to £11.25 during the day and £12.85 for night shifts.
A spokesperson for Boohoo said: "To ensure the long-term strength of our operations, we are proposing to amend shift patterns at our Daventry warehouse.
"We are conducting a consultation on the proposed change, throughout which employees’ views are aired and considered in the appropriate forum. As a business, we do not formally recognise a union, but our employees are free to join a union individually."
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "The shift patterns proposed for Boohoo’s Crick warehouse are completely unacceptable in a modern society. People are not machines and deserve to able to spend time with their families, rest and have a life outside of work."
She added: "Unite defends our members’ jobs, pay and conditions to the hilt and Boohoo’s Crick workforce will be receiving their union’s complete support in their fight against these unconscionable shift demands."
Unite regional officer Sean Kettle said: "Unite demands that Boohoo apply the same freedom for association and collective bargaining rights to their directly employed workers at Crick that they say they expect for the employees of their third-party garment producers and suppliers.
"Boohoo must allow Unite access to the Crick site to organise and represent workers to negotiate ethical and fair shift patterns."
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