Tesco is now facing the threat of strike action by thousands of staff at more than half of its 22 distribution depots over the busy Christmas period.
The union Usdaw announced yesterday that 5,000 of its members had rejected a proposed 4% annual pay rise from the retailer. They will join 1,200 Unite union members that had previously voted for action in the coming weeks unless they are offered a pay deal that keeps pace with inflation.
In total, Tesco is now facing industrial action at 13 of the sites that supply its stores.
Both unions have pointed to the latest retail price inflation figure of 6% as a benchmark for a pay deal. Unite recently secured a 5% pay rise for distribution centre workers at Morrisons.
“Our members have sent a clear message”, said Joanne McGuinness, Usdaw national officer. “We hope that the company is listening and that they will return to the negotiating table with a better deal.”
Sharon Graham, secretary-general at Unite, said her members “have gone above and beyond the call of duty to keep Tesco’s shelves filled throughout the pandemic”.
She added: “At the very least, the UK’s largest and wealthiest retailer should be making our members a decent pay offer.”
The unions have warned that the strikes will lead to shortages of some products at a time when supermarkets are already struggling to keep shelves stocked due to other supply chain issues.
Tesco said it recognised that distribution staff “have worked tirelessly through the pandemic” and that the pay offer it had made, one of the highest in the past 25 years, “is a fair recognition of this”.
The retailer added that it was “disappointed” by the votes for strike action and stressed it had contingency plans in place to help mitigate any impacts. It is also understood to be in ongoing talks with unions.
“We have worked hard to deliver Christmas for our customers and are confident we will be able to fulfil our plans,” Tesco said.
