Southampton Tesco distribution workers reject pay offer
It raises the prospect of further strike action
Workers at a Tesco distribution site in Southampton are to be consulted on whether to move to an industrial action ballot over a pay dispute.
Usdaw said its members at eight sites, including the one in Canberra Road in Nursling, have overwhelmingly rejected a pay offer it said was worth between 2% plus £500 and 4.4%, depending on contract, along with some additional enhancements.
Mark Todd, Usdaw national officer, said:
"Following the overwhelming rejection of Tesco's final offer, the company has made it clear that they do not intend to reconvene negotiations or make an improved offer at this stage.
"That means it is now necessary to carry out a consultative ballot, to assess our members' level of willingness to carry out industrial action."
A spokesperson for Tesco said:
"We have made a fair pay offer to colleagues working at our distribution sites, which is equivalent to double the current rate of CPI inflation, and we continue to engage with Usdaw.
"In recent years we have made substantial investments in pay and benefits for our distribution colleagues, with pay increasing by 23% over the past three years."
The union will have to move to a ballot before any industrial action, so there is no immediate prospect of action or disruption to deliveries to Tesco stores.
The eight sites affected are: Hinckley, Magor, Southampton, Daventry Clothing, Goole, Lichfield, Livingston and Peterborough.