Wilko is set to reduce sick pay benefits for its workforce at stores across the 海角视频.
Currently Wilko employees are entitled to up to three occasions of sickness on company sick pay before reverting to statutory sick pay of £95.85 per week.
But from February 1 Wilko want to reduce this to one episode of sickness before moving to statutory.
The company says this is in line with other retailers and that it is a bid to tackle non-Covid absences.
They said they'll continue to support team members most in need including anyone quarantining or absent with a case of coronavirus.
But the GMB union has informed Wilko that if these measures go ahead, they face a ballot for industrial action.
They said many of these workers are on minimum wage, low hours and some have no entitlement to statutory sick pay which will leave them with no income if they become ill.
Roger Jenkins, GMB National Officer, said: "Loyal Wilko workers have grafted throughout this pandemic - putting themselves and their families at risk to keep stores open.
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“Along with other retail workers, they’ve had to deal with a lack of social distancing, increased threats and abuse from customers.
"Wilko should be rewarding their commitment - but instead they’ve threatened to slash their sickness benefit.
“Wilko should hang their heads in shame.
“GMB will not tolerate this abuse of keyworkers and has informed Wilko that if these draconian measures go ahead, they face a ballot for industrial action."
A Wilko spokesman said: "We’re a family business that’s looked after our team for over 90 years through good times and bad.
"We operate an enhanced Company Sick Pay policy, and we’ll continue to support those team members most in need including anyone quarantining or absent with a case of coronavirus, anyone with long-term sickness and the extremely vulnerable. This will be over and above Statutory Sick Pay.
"Early last year we considered some necessary changes to our policy designed to bring us more into line with other retailers.
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"We soon put these on hold to support our team members whilst we concentrated on keeping our stores open as an essential retailer to provide our customers with access to the household and hardware items they need for their families.
"We’ve been working in collaboration with the GMB to try and tackle non-coronavirus absence.
"At the heart of these conversations was our shared strong desire to protect both Wilko team members and the future of Wilko so we can continue to serve customers, run a successful business, employ people, look after team members who need our help and offer an attractive benefits package compared to other retailers."
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Wilko CEO Jerome Saint-Marc added: "Taking care of team members is not just something we do at wilko it’s one of our core values.
"We support team members who are: vulnerable, on coronavirus quarantine, or who have serious medical challenges. On top of that we pay full pay for a period of sickness absence for any team member in any year.
"Having unsuccessfully worked with our union to try to reduce absence we’re now changing our policy to reduce abuse of it by some team members.
"Going forwards second sickness absences in a year will be covered by statutory sick pay. This still protects our team members and the change protects customer service and the financial health of our business. It allows us to invest where we should be investing in the future of Wilko and all the customers, team members and suppliers who rely on it."
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