Over a 1,100 workers employed at two Morrisons supermarket
distribution centres have begun balloting for strike action in a
dispute over pay.
The affected distribution centres are Northwich, in Cheshire, and
Wakefield. The centres are responsible for distributing food and
goods to Morrisons supermarkets throughout the North West,
Yorkshire and beyond.
The dispute is a result of the workers, who are members of Unite,
the UK’s leading union, receiving an entirely unacceptable pay
offer. Most workers have been offered a three per cent pay
increase, although the lowest paid have been offered just two per
cent. Both offers are far below the current rate of inflation,
with the Retail Price Index standing at 4.9 per cent.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Morrisons is a
multi-million pound operation which has financially benefitted
from our members working throughout the pandemic. Workers will
simply not accept a pay offer which is a real terms pay
cut.
“Unite prioritises the jobs, pay and conditions of all its
members and our members at Morrisons will receive the union’s
full support in their campaign for a fair pay rise.”
The inferior offer to the lowest paid is a result of a botched
job evaluation process undertaken by Californian company
Korn Ferry. The job evaluation process excluded Unite from
its deliberations and wrongly decided that the affected workers
were being overpaid.
The industrial action ballot opened today (Tuesday 16 November)
and closes on Tuesday 30 November. If members vote for
industrial action then strikes could begin by mid-December.
Morrisons pleas of poverty and not being able to afford a higher
pay increase have been rejected by the workforce. The company,
which is extremely profitable, is in the final stages of
a £7 billion takeover by United
States based private equity group Clayton, Dubiler and Rice
(CR&R).
Unite regional officer Ian McCluskey said: “The workers at
both distribution centres have gone above and beyond the call of
duty in the past 18 months to ensure an unbroken supply of food
and goods reaching supermarkets. Unite will not accept the divide
and rule tactics that Morrisons want to introduce over pay.
“If Morrisons want to avoid huge disruption to it stores shortly
before Christmas, then they need to return to the negotiating
table and make a pay offer acceptable to our members.”
