Wincanton lorry drivers on the Sainsbury’s contract are being balloted on a renewed pay offer after their union threatened strike action that would disrupt Christmas in the South West.
The Unite union said it had been in talks with the drivers’ employer since March but had not reached any agreement on pay.
It said a recent 4% offer was rejected because it still left over 100 HGV drivers earning 14% less than colleagues doing the same job in Basingstoke.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Wincanton’s drivers are simply seeking pay parity with colleagues at the same company doing the same job. That Wincanton thinks this is unreasonable speak volumes about its disdain for its workforce.”
The drivers are also demanding a 30-minute paid break, time-and-a-half pay when they work on rest days and paid banked hours also at time-and-a-half.
A postal ballot on strike action has already begun but Motor Transport understands that this coincided with Wincanton then putting forward a new pay offer.
This is now being balloted on as well; a union spokesman said: “Obviously if that’s accepted then the strike ballot is null and void.
“But if it’s rejected then the result would still stand.”
Unite added that any mandate for industrial action would see “strikes crippling deliveries to Sainsbury’s stores” and empty shelves this Christmas.
The ballot on the new pay offer closes on 2 November.
GXO, which acquired Wincanton in 2024, said it was pleased a new offer was now being put to the drivers and that Unite was recommending it: “We hope this will allow us to reach an agreement soon,” added a GXO spokesperson.
“No industrial action has been confirmed, and we remain focused on maintaining continuity of service for our customer.”
