ASDA threatening action against Farmers for Action
ASDA is threatening to take legal action ahead of protests by Farmers for Action at three distribution depots tonight.
Farmers for Action has widely publicised its intentions to stage protests on Wednesday and Thursday outside Asda distribution depots in the towns of Chepstow, Lancashire and Skelmsersdale, in Scotland. The Leeds-born retailer has personally written to Farmers for Action chairman David Handley and prominent Farmers for Action members this morning, via solicitors, giving them an exclusive deadline of midday to agree to certain conditions.
Among the assurances are guarantees that no protests will obstruct access to any of Asda’s premises, that the protestors won’t trespass on Asda property and also that Farmers for Action members will always co-operate fully with local police and Asda’s security staff and will only protest in locations that are deemed to be safe. As well as this, Asda is also requesting that instructions regarding protests are published on FFA’s website and are communicated to co-ordinators.
Asda warns that any failure to agree to the undertaking will be taken as a message that FFA intends to participate in unlawful interferences with legitimate business activities. In the aforementioned letter, Asda’s distribution director Ian Stansfield told Farmers for Action that it is the supermarket’s intention to apply to the courts without further notice for such orders as is appropriate, and that there are likely to be orders preventing unlawful conduct which could disrupt the activities of Asda property.