SUPERMARKET depot workers facing redundancy will strike next week over pay.

GMB union members at Asda's non-fresh foods warehouse in Washington, Wearside, will hold a 24-hour strike from 11pm on Thursday. More than 500 workers out of the 737 at the depot will walk out.

The dispute arose after the supermarket offered workers a ten per cent pay rise last December, but only if they agreed to exclude the GMB from future pay negotiations.

The workers declined and Asda reduced its pay offer to 4.5 per cent.

Michael Hopper, regional organiser with the GMB, said: "This is one of the lowest paid Asda depots in the country.

"All we are asking for is to be brought in line with other depots and we have not asked for it all at once."

He said the GMB was taking Asda to an industrial tribunal, where it will claim the retailer offered an inducement to workers to leave the union.

An Asda spokesman said: "We do not believe we have done anything wrong and will vigorously defend our position."

More than 77 per cent of Mr Hopper's members who returned their papers voted in favour of the strike.

By law, companies must issue notices to employees before making large-scale redundancies.

On the same day strike ballot papers were sent out, Asda issued 315 workers at the depot with letters warning them their jobs were at risk.

The group wants to scale down its ambient foods operation on the Pattinson Road Industrial estate, as it restructures its distribution network.

The depot handles about six per cent of the chain's ambient foods distribution, serving 100 stores. This will fall to 35 stores during the next 18 months.

Mr Hopper said: "We are still in negotiations, but it looks like people will be laid off from August to November."

The company, which is owned by US company Walmart, hopes to re-deploy the workers in other areas on Wearside.

Its regional distribution centre, which employs 505 people, is opposite the ambient depot.

Asda is also investing £40m in a 380,000sq ft centre next door, to distribute its George fashion line. This is expected to create up to 700 jobs when it opens next year.

The Asda spokesman said the pay structure at the depot was inherited from previous owner, Wincanton, and that the 4.5 per cent would bring workers in line with its regional depot.

He said: "This site handles a relatively small percentage of our non-fresh foods distribution and there are contingency plans in place, so stores will not be affected."