Workers who package goods for Topshop, Miss Selfridge, and Burton at a warehouse in Shirley, Solihull, launched strike action today in a row over pay.
The union GMB said more than 100 staff at the warehouse, which is operated for Topshop parent company Arcadia by DHL Logistics Supply Chain, walked out today in a disagreement over pay.
There are, GMB estimated, around 180 permanent staff at the warehouse, indicating support for industrial action was high. It is the second time the staff members have taken strike action in the past month, and they plan to strike again on Monday.
The union is calling on DHL and Arcadia, which is owned by Sir Philip Green, to ensure all staff are paid the "real living wage", which is set at £8.45 by the Living Wage Foundation.
It said the requests had been met with "silence" and that it had "no choice but to take action".
A spokeswoman for DHL Supply Chain said: “We believe our offer to be reasonable in the current economic climate. Detailed contingency plans are in place and we are confident that there will be no disruption to service.
"We urge the GMB to return to the negotiating table to meet with us to resolve this matter at the earliest opportunity.”
DHL did not respond to requests to confirm its pay structure or how many staff were employed on site.
BuzzFeed News spoke to one worker on condition of anonymity who claimed they had not been paid over the minimum wage in over a decade of service at the company.
"We're taking action for fair pay," they said. "Morale in general with most people is generally pretty low.
"I think Philip Green should share his wealth around a bit, because obviously he's wealthy off the back of us. Maybe by paying us the minimum wage, he can have a bit more in his pocket.
"Meanwhile, we have to struggle on our minimum wage and pay the bills – and as you know, energy bills, petrol, everything is going up."
BuzzFeed News reached out to Arcadia but the company did not respond to requests for comment.