DHL Supply Chain staff belonging to the Unite union have voted in favour of industrial action at some of customer Jaguar Land Rover’s sites, after rejecting a pay offer.

The DHL employees at plants in Castle Bromwich, Solihull and Hams Hall, voted for industrial action in what the logistics firm has labelled a “reckless action”.

DHL had offered a 4.5% increase in pay for all drivers, warehouse and plant staff for 2013, with a guaranteed 3% or retail price index (RPI) increase for 2014.

It has also offered a 1.7% cash lump sum for 2013. The offer was made on top of a an average pay increase last year of 10%.

In response to the decision, a spokeswoman for DHL Supply Chain said: “Unite’s demand of a pay increase for our already very competitively rewarded colleagues, of 12.8% for operatives and 20.6% for drivers is completely unsustainable and has yet to be justified by Unite.”

Contingency plans have been put in place to minimise disruption at Jaguar Land Rover, she added.

Unite was unavailable for comment.

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