Hello Fresh issues statement over Nuneaton centre 'lockdown' as police called
Hello Fresh has issued a statement following a protest and 'alleged' lockdown at its Nuneaton centre. CoventryLive received multiple messages about an incident at the centre in Bermuda Park at the weekend.
Video footage that has circulated shows police cars at the site, which is based just off the Griff Island on St George's Way. Hello Fresh has confirmed there was an incident on Saturday night (September 14).
Claims have been made that a protest was staged by some Muslim workers who were allegedly not allowed to pray. They reportedly staged a protest and the centre allegedly went into 'lockdown' with claims made that access to toilets, drinks and food was denied.
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In a statement, a spokesperson for the HelloFresh said that an undisclosed number of operatives had 'refused to work during their shift' on Saturday night. The spokesperson said that 'multiple attempts' were made to engage with them but 'threats of violence' were made.
The spokesperson added that those involved were asked to leave the site and have been suspended pending an investigation.
Warwickshire Police has confirmed that officers were called at 11.29pm on Saturday night to reports of a disturbance at a business premises in St George’s Way. "Officers attended and reported it being calm and no criminal matters were identified," a police spokesperson said.
Full Hello Fresh statement
"Creating a safe workplace is the key priority for everyone at HelloFresh," the spokesperson said. "We ensure all team members have the time and facilities to observe any religious practices and take breaks as needed.
"To help us make sure we continue to cater for needs and preferences, we have set up multiple forums for employees to share views including our Fresh Forum and Culture Committee.
“This weekend, a number of operatives at our Nuneaton facility refused to work during their shift. After multiple attempts to engage with them to understand and resolve their concerns, we asked these individuals to leave the site following threats of violence in the interest of the safety of the rest of the team on site."
As previously reported, the centre, known as The Beehive, is HelloFresh's largest UK operation and third largest in Europe and it opened in 2020.