SEETHING bosses at the union GMB, which has tens of thousands of members in the  slammed a "sweatheart deal" between the Community Union and controversial ASOS logistics firm XPO.

GMB ran a TUC backed campaign over a period of two years, highlighting alleged exploitation of agency work and the poor conditions ASOS workers face at the company.

The company has a giant distrubition centre in Yorkshire and a Midlands based centre in Northamptonshire.

GMB’s campaign resulted in changes to ‘flex’ time in the warehouse, to team leaders having to address age discrimination and to the company abandoning plans for constant monitoring.

It has mobilised thousands of people online received high profile coverage for investigations with BuzzFeed and holding a ‘Catwalk of Shame’ at the company’s AGM earlier this year.

GMB claims the deal gives ASOS boss Nick Beighton cover as he is set to appear before the Joint Human Rights Committee tomorrow and undermines the basic right of workers to choose their union – not have a convenient choice for the employers foisted on them from above.

Tim Roache, GMB General Secretary said: “This is utterly disgraceful behaviour by the employer and by Community, who need to have a word with themselves if they think this will help a single worker.

“GMB represents hundreds of ASOS workers, we’ve been on the gates day in day out and have already forced the company to change some of its appalling employment practices.

“It’s been a high profile campaign on the ground and in the press, exposing what’s wrong at ASOS, I’m not surprised they want us to go away.

“Unfortunately for ASOS that’s not how it works.

“That Community are behaving more like bosses’ lackeys than a union is probably why the company has carved up this nice little deal to give themselves some cover.

“Community has turned up for the first time today and is literally having to give away membership - that says it all.

“Workers there are as puzzled as anyone as to what they're playing at.

“It’s workers, not their bosses, who choose their union – it’s called the right to freedom of association.

“We won’t be abandoning our members now, or ever.”

Sean Scorer, Community’s national officer for logistics, said: “Community wants to see companies like XPO grow and succeed, but we also want workers to share in that success.

"This agreement is a positive step in that direction and we look forward to working closely with our members and the company in the coming weeks.”

Nick Beighton, ASOS CEO, refuted complaints of worker exploitation in lengthly rebuttal here.

He said:  "I lead the ASOS management team so I know how seriously we take our responsibilities as an employer.

"I take huge exception to the idea that we are secretive and exploit our people.

"We have nothing to hide and much to be proud of. I want the facts to speak for themselves.

"We don’t pretend to be perfect and we are learning all the time. We learn, re-set and go again. That’s the way we do things at ASOS."