Union: 'Supermarkets must stop dehumanising staff'

A trade union is warning supermarkets to stop tracking workers or face strike action.

General workers union GMB said it wants supermarket distribution depots to stop 'dehumanising' staff by electronically tracking and timing each task they perform.

Paul Kenny, the GMB's acting general secretary, said: "The GMB is no Luddite organisation but we will not stand idly by to see our members reduced to automatons. The use of this technology needs to be redesigned to be an aide to the worker rather than making the worker its slave.

"The supermarkets that rely on just-in-time shelf filling rather than holding buffer stocks are incredibly profitable companies. They can well afford to operate a humanised supply chain. They should do so quickly otherwise the GMB will ensure that the shelves do not get filled."

The union is specifically targeting 'wearable' computers that can be fitted to the arm or chest. The portable devices communicate with supermarket servers via wireless networks and are typically worn by staff for shelf stacking, taking inventory or packing goods for online shopping orders.

The GMB said the devices have put pressure on workers as the computers track how long it takes people to move from place to place - even, for example, leaving their job to go to the toilet.

But supermarket Tesco, which has deployed wearable computers, insisted its workers were not tracked or timed on tasks. It said the technology had simplified depot work and made staff happier.

A spokeswoman for Tesco said: "Our warehouse staff are a highly trained and highly valued part of our team. The technology is not capable of tracking staff, it is used to pick products correctly and help get them to stores as quickly as possible for our customers. Our staff tell us that this has made their jobs easier, creating less paper and helping them to pick more accurately."

Xybernaut, a wearable computer manufacturer, declined to comment.