GMB London protest on Wednesday 23 March outside Decathlon Wandsworth over plans to cash in on Russian invasion of Ukraine
GMB London protest on Wednesday 23 March outside Decathlon Wandsworth over plans to cash in on Russian invasion of Ukraine
We will be asking shoppers to not shop in the store in response to a request from a Ukraine MP that action be taken against the parent company for attempting to cash in on the Russian invasion of Ukraine says GMB London
GMB London Fulham 1 branch is holding a protest demonstration outside its local Decathlon store in Wandsworth from 11 am on Wednesday 23 March over recent reports on the parent company plans to cash in on the Russian invasion of Ukraine by filling the gaps left by other retailers who have pulled out of Russia.
GMB Fulham 1 branch is calling on other parts of the Labour movement to join this protest and extend it to the other 50 Decathlon superstores across the UK.
On Saturday 19th March the Telegraph published a report on the company that included the following information:
“Leroy Merlin, owned by the Mulliez family - which with a €42bn (£35bn) fortune ranks among the richest on the planet - wants to fill the vacuum left by western rivals such as Ikea after they pulled out of Russia.
In a letter to suppliers, the bosses at the Russian arm of Leroy Merlin said that “sales have significantly increased” since the start of Mr Putin’s brutal military campaign.
The letter, seen by The Telegraph, reads: “Since the disappearance of certain companies from the market, we are open to your proposals on the increase of supply and the increase of your assortment of products.
“In the next three to four months we plan to fully replace imported products with those produced in Russia.”
The details of the protest are as follows:
From 11 am Wednesday 23 March,
Outside the Decathlon store
55-57 Garratt Lane,
Southside Shopping Centre
SW18 4TF London
There will be union members with GMB and Ukraine flags.
David Davies, GMB Fulham 1 Branch Secretary said:
“GMB members will be asking shoppers to not shop in the store in response to a request from a Ukraine MP that action be taken against the parent company for attempting to cash in on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“We will send a clear message from London to the uber wealthy billionaire Mulliez family that if they persist with this plan to cash in on the Russian invasion of Ukraine that they will face an equal and opposite determination from shoppers here that we will have nothing to do with them. We will send them to Coventry.
“GMB Fulham 1 branch invite others to join us in this campaign. Decathlon has 50 superstores across the UK of which nine are in London.”
End
Contact: Mick Lancaster, GMB London Region Organiser 079 7424 9754 or Dave Davies, Branch Secretary Fulham 1, GMB London Region 077 7334 3967
