The threat of strike action by at least 2,000 members of union Unite at a number of Tesco DCs in the run-up to Christmas appears to have receded after the supermarket chain made a revised two-year pay offer.
Neither Unite nor Tesco have provided the details of the offer, but a spokesman for the union confirmed two ballots on industrial action – one covering approximately 700 distribution workers at Tesco’s Belfast and Doncaster sites, and a second covering 1,300 more staff at the Didcot DC – had been suspended. Workers at a DC in Thurrock, where Unite has members, were also expected to become involved.
The union had begun balloting its members after what it described as a “pitiful” pay offer by Tesco of a pay freeze in 2015 followed by a 1.5% increase in 2016. That offer was rejected by 91% of affected Unite members.
A spokesman for Tesco, which had already agreed a pay offer of 0% in 2015 and 3.2% next year with 8,000 members of union Usdaw, said: “Tesco has concluded pay negotiations in all of its 24 DCs in the UK, having agreed fully recommended two-year revised pay offers with both Usdaw and Unite unions.
“The offers are being voted on by Tesco colleagues.”
