Morrisons workers in Wakefield go on strike

Unite the Union said around 1,000 warehouse workers for the supermarket giant across sites in Wakefield and Northwich would begin strike action after the employer forced changes on their pension contributions, which could leave them £500 a year worse off.

Union members working as warehouse stock controllers, cooks, canteen staff, and administrators were balloted for the industrial action, which will take place over an initial six days.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite is focussed on our members’ jobs, pay and conditions and these unfair changes to workers’ pensions will leave workers worse off every month.

"Unite will not stand for such behaviour from any employer, let alone one like Morrisons who is raking in massive profits during a cost-of-living crisis.

"Its flagrant profiteering and then cutting our members’ take home pay is a disgrace.”

Staff at the warehouses in Cheshire and West Yorkshire perform essential roles that ensure lorries are loaded and shelves filled in the nearly 500 supermarkets and convenience stores run by Morrisons.

They will be striking from 5am today (Thursday, May 23) until 5am on Sunday, May 26, and then again from 5am on Thursday, June 13 until 5am on Sunday, June 16.

The union said workers were being forced to increase their pension contributions while the supermarket giant reduced its contributions by the same amount.

It said the move would result in workers being significantly worse off in their pay packets and Morrisons pocket the extra money despite already making nearly a billion pounds in profits.

It said further changes workers were told to accept included a new, unpopular “pick rate” – the speed at which items are packed from the warehouse shelves, as well as the removal of a long service award, enforced changes to jobs roles and a failure to correctly follow absence policies.

Unite national officer Adrian Jones said: “The strike action will inevitably cause shortages and empty shelves across Morrisons stores but this dispute is entirely of the company’s own making.

“Despite our best efforts over a number of meetings, it seems that Morrisons is not interested in resolving this dispute as they have refused to negotiate over the changes to our members' pensions and long service awards.

"We have attempted to get management to see sense and find a way forward but to no avail."

A spokesperson for Morrisons said: “We have made a number of new proposals to Unite including a 9 per cent pay award, a new service award scheme and improvements to the planned future pension scheme changes.

"Disappointingly, Unite has chosen to reject these new proposals without putting them to its members, and instead are continuing with strike action at two out of our seven logistics sites, initially over three days.

"The two affected depots at Gadbrook and Wakefield are open but operating at a reduced capacity.

"We have put in place detailed contingency plans across the business and are confident that our customers, stores, suppliers and partners will not be significantly affected.

"We remain open to further dialogue with the union.”