Hopes high Tesco strike action in NI can be averted as talks continue

The Unite union was engaged in talks with Tesco last night in a bid to avert strike action on December 16 at distribution depots in Belfast and Antrim, but there was no formal breakthrough by around 10pm.

The union held a ballot with its Tesco staff on strike action last month, and has rejected a 4% pay increase.

In a statement earlier this week, the union confirmed that its warehouse workers and lorry drivers in the two Northern Ireland locations would participate in industrial action.

Elsewhere in the UK, strike action is set to take place in Didcot and Doncaster in England.

Unite said the 4% offer falls below the rate of inflation, and amounts to an effective pay cut.

Meanwhile, the supermarket giant remains in negotiations with another trade union – the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW) – in a separate bid to avert strike action by its members.

Further talks between USDAW and Tesco are set to take place today, a move welcomed last night by the union.

The USDAW strike, at nine distribution sites in England, is still set to proceed as things stand from December 20 until Christmas Eve – unless a deal can be reached.

Joanne McGuinness, Usdaw national officer, said: “We welcome Tesco’s offer of further talks, which start tomorrow [Wednesday], and we will engage positively to seek a resolution to this dispute.

“Industrial action is always a last resort for our members. We sincerely hope that fresh negotiations can result in an acceptable offer from the business to avoid possible stock shortages in stores in the week before Christmas.”

And the Tesco workers could be joined by counterparts in Asda, if the strikes proceed, after the GMB union said that it would call a strike ballot which closes on December 20 over what it said is the supermarket’s refusal to give distribution workers a “meaningful pay offer”.

“Asda workers turned up throughout the Covid pandemic risking their lives to keep the nation fed – as well as helping the company turn a profit of almost £500 million,” said GMB national officer Nadine Houghton.

“Staff who saw colleagues lose their lives to Covid are not having their legitimate demands for a pay rise treated seriously.

“Asda now say GMB members’ pay claim is ‘unaffordable’ and yet their hard work and sacrifice helped directors trouser almost £10 million between them.

“It’s a disgrace – we urge Asda workers to fight for what they deserve and vote yes for a ballot for industrial action.”

An Asda spokesperson said: “The GMB has recently made an additional pay claim on top of a two-year deal which was agreed with them in May.

“As our annual pay negotiations have just begun and discussions are ongoing, any talk of industrial action is premature. In addition, we have responded to the driver shortage by offering all of our existing HGV drivers a £1,000 one-off discretionary incentive retention payment.”