Strike ballot gets underway at distribution firm
Morrisons supermarkets across Scotland could be hit by food shortages in the run up to Christmas as an industrial action ballot gets underway today in its distribution partner XPO Logistic.
Over 600 GMB members at the Eurocentral depot near Bellshill will be asked to support strike action after XPO management breached the terms of an ACAS conciliation agreement over its payroll and pensions arrangements, which leaves many staff in detriment each pay day.
It represents the latest in a long line of employment relations failures affecting staff at XPO. Earlier this year, staff voted in a consultative ballot by a majority of 97.8% to move to strike action following the non-payment of both pay and pension contributions.
A strike ballot was initially avoided after GMB and XPO reached the now broken agreement over payroll and pensions under the auspices of ACAS in September.
XPO is a main distributor of produce to Morrisons 60 stores in Scotland. The industrial action ballot, which runs until Monday 25 November, involves all occupations including drivers and warehouse operators.
GMB Scotland Organiser Bob Deavy said: “XPO management are treating their employees will utter contempt and their failure to stick to a basic ACAS agreement has shattered any confidence there may have been left among staff.
“In good faith we agreed with XPO a compensatory payment of £25 for any staff member that experiences a shortfall in their wages while the employer works to make their payroll system fit for purpose.
“It’s a sorry state of affairs when an employer can’t even get their stop-gap measures right and just two months after conciliation with ACAS they are breaching the terms of their own mitigation strategy.
“We’ve been left with little choice but to move a full industrial action ballot and based on the depth of feeling among staff the prospect of a strike affecting distributions to XPO’s key client Morrisons is almost certain.”
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