Warning of empty shelves at Morrisons as Wakefield logistics workers could strike over pensions

Around 1,000 Unite members working as warehouse stock controllers, cooks, canteen staff, and administrators are being balloted for strike action to protect their pensions and take home pay.

The union said staff are based in warehouses in Wakefield and Cheshire and perform essential roles that ensure lorries are loaded and shelves are filled in the nearly 500 supermarkets and convenience stores run by Morrisons.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite is focussed on our members’ jobs, pay and conditions and these unmerited changes to workers’ pensions will leave our members 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 in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis. Its flagrant profiteering and then cutting our members’ take-home pay is a disgrace.”

The union said workers are being forced to increase their own pension contributions while the supermarket giant reduces its own contributions by the same amount, which will result in workers being significantly worse off in their pay packets and see Morrisons pocket the extra money despite already making nearly a billion pounds in profits.

Additional changes that workers are being compelled to adopt include a new, unpopular “pick rate” (the speed at which items are packed from the warehouse shelves), the removal of a service award, enforced changes to jobs roles and a failure to correctly follow absence policies.

Unite national officer Adrian Jones added: “Our members provide a vital service ensuring supermarket shelves are full. Yet Morrisons have decided to unilaterally impose changes to their pensions that will leave them worse off and changes to the conditions that no one wants.

“Morrisons need to see sense and reverse these changes or they will see the anger of our members on the picket line.”

The ballot for Unite members opened yesterday (April 18) and will close on May 9.

Should the ballot be successful, and if no concessions are made by the employer, industrial action will take place this spring and summer.

Morrisons was contacted and declined to comment.