ArrowXL workers took their ongoing dispute with their employer to the Furniture Show at the Birmingham NEC this week where parent company Logistics Group Holdings had a stand.

Organised by the Unite union, the staff dressed as Robin Hood at the exhibition centre to highlight what it claimed was ArrowXL’s strategy of taking money from the poor workers to give to wealthy directors.

Over 350 union members have been involved in industrial action since October and Unite said the workers are currently preparing to be re-balloted to secure a fresh mandate for strike action.

It claimed that staff are poorly paid, with many only receiving the minimum wage and other workers paid only just above £9.50 an hour.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Arrow XL is guilty of acting as Robin Hood in reverse: it is taking money from its poorly paid workers to give to vastly wealthy directors.

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“Arrow XL needs to stop mistreating its workers and make a fair pay offer. Until Arrow XL treats its workers fairly, Unite will continue to expose its practices at every opportunity.”

A similar protest took place outside Logistics UK’s annual awards ceremony in London last month.

ArrowXL said it had already awarded its staff a pay increase that was offered during negotiations, which equated to an average of 8.25%, as well as making enhancements to sick, maternity, paternity and jury service pay.

“The pay award has already been backdated to 1 July 2022 and follows a series of increasing awards over the last few years of 3.5% in 2021 and 2.8% in 2020,” said an ArrowXL spokeswoman.

“Pay is due to be reviewed again this month.”

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