Strike action among UPS delivery drivers could be on the cards in the run-up to Christmas after the parcel giant was accused of offering a “miserly” pay deal.
The Unite union said over 2,000 workers at the firm were now being balloted over industrial action and that it could create major delays for consumers during the festive period and January sales.
However, UPS said it had robust contingency plans in place to reduce disruption.
Unite said staff had already rejected an offer of 2.8% and 3.2% pay increases for 2025 and 2026 respectively.
It claimed that a previous offer included a lump sum of £100 to those on minimum wage, but this had now been retracted by the firm to fund the pay offer for 2026.
It also said that staff who had left UPS had not been replaced, resulting in workers at the company having to do forced overtime with unreasonable workloads and that they had also seen their sick pay withheld, going against an agreement between the company, Unite and its sister unions.
Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said: “This dispute is a clear case of a rich employer putting profits before people. It is shameful that workers at a company that turns over billions have been offered such a miserly pay deal and have been left struggling to get by.
“Our members at UPS have Unite’s full support in their fight for a fair pay rise.”
A UPS spokesperson said: “We endeavour to create a working environment that helps our people to thrive and our business and customers to succeed.
“Our goal remains a balanced, fair and sustainable agreement that reflects the valuable contribution our people deliver every day.
“Robust contingency plans are in place to minimise any customer disruption and keep our commitments should industrial action take place.”
