Colliers Wood Next store picketed by protestors (From Wimbledon Guardian)

Colliers Wood Next store picketed by protestors

3:50pm Wednesday 3rd October 2012 in News By Lauren May, Chief Reporter

Colliers Wood Next store picketed by protestors

A Colliers Wood retailer was picketed by protesters last week as part of a campaign to increase low wages.

Demonstrators from the GMB and police officers gathered outside NEXT Home in the Tandem Centre in Collier’s Wood on Wednesday, September 26, in what was a peaceful protest calling for the company to raise it pay for those on a minimum wage of £6.08, and below for young staff, to a living wage of £7.20.

The GMB said the company were expected to reach profits of £620m for the year to January 2013.

Paul Maloney GMB Regional Secretary said "It is a scandal that NEXT should be paying minimum wages and that some apprentices are paid £2.60 per hour when they are making such huge profits.

"There is no excuse for this absolute greed.

"Figures published today by the GMB demonstrate that NEXT are amongst the worst offenders in the retail sector for low pay and high profits and there is a link between the two."

A spokesperson for NEXT could not confirm what low ranking staff were paid at the Colliers Wood store, but said all their staff were paid a living wage and that their warehouse workers received an average of £9.16 per hour, including bonuses.