Pre-Christmas strikes at Morrisons have been called off
after over 1,100 warehouse workers accepted an improved pay
offer.
The workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s largest union,
and are based at Morrisons’ distribution centres at Northwich in
Cheshire and Wakefield in Yorkshire, originally faced a pay
freeze and were then offered a meagre pay rise worth between
two and three per cent.
However, once Unite began balloting the workforce for industrial
action, fresh negotiations were held and an improved offer of
five per cent for all workers was made, which the workforce
accepted. The pay increase is backdated to 2 August 2021.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham
said: “Unite’s members have worked
throughout the pandemic to ensure Morrisons shelves remained
fully stocked. They simply were never going to accept a pitiful
pay deal.
“Unite does exactly what it says on the trade union
tin: fight to defend our members’ jobs, pay and conditions. This
pay rise at Morrisons, as well as similar victories at other
workplaces across the country, shows this approach is paying
dividends for Unite members.”
The pay deal for the warehouse
workers follows closely on the heels of that for the
outsourced HGV drivers employed by Wincanton who work on the
Morrisons contract which serves these distribution centres.
Unite regional officer Ian McCluskey
said: “Unite is determined to build on this pay
award in future wage negotiations to ensure that our members
continue to receive a fair day's pay for the work they
undertake.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Morrisons warehouse workers
ballot for industrial action with pre-Christmas strikes
looming
