Around 1,000 warehouse staff at five Argos DCs are set to strike for 24 hours tomorrow (4 July) in a dispute over terms and conditions, union Unite has claimed.

The union said the strike, which is set to start at 6am at Argos’s Basildon, Bridgwater, Castleford and Magna Park sites and at 6.30am at its Heywood DC, would result in “substantial” disruption to customer deliveries.

The industrial action has been sparked by plans for a new 24/7 shift pattern which the union claims will result in workers suffering “severe disruption to their personal and family lives”.

Unite national officer for road transport and logistics, Matt Draper, said: “The management has offered a one-off payment of £2,400 which, quite frankly, is woefully inadequate given the massive changes in shift patterns proposed for the years ahead.

“The proposals also include a new measuring system for work which, we believe, could be used as a tool to dismiss workers,” he added.

A spokeswoman for Argos told Motortransport.co.uk that contingency plans had been activated to ensure a normal service for customers.

She also said the changes being proposed, which are part of a five-year transformation plan the retailer first announced in late 2012, involved plans for 350 new permanent distribution jobs.

The changes to distribution workers’ terms and conditions had already been accepted by 98% of staff and the retailer is “working hard to understand and address any outstanding queries or issues”, she continued.

“We believe the proposed changes represent the best outcome for the security of our colleagues and Argos alike,” she said.

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