"Thousands of Asda lorry drivers ready to strike after rejecting pay deal", 21 February 2022

Asda is facing potential disruption to supermarket deliveries after thousands of lorry drivers, warehouse staff and clerical workers voted to reject a pay offer.

Almost 70% of the GMB union’s 8,000 members within Asda’s distribution network, which employs 12,000 in total, voted to reject pay rises of between 5% and 7.5%.

That pay rise compares to inflation of 7.8% – on the retail prices index measure – while the legal minimum wage is set to increase by 6.6% in April. The government’s preferred measure of inflation – the consumer prices index – is expected to rise from 5.5% in January to almost 8% in April.

Almost 80% of those balloted said they were ready to take action over the pay deal, raising the prospect of strikes that would affect all 23 distribution depots serving the UK’s third largest supermarket chain...

Jon Parry, the vice-president of Asda Logistics Services, said: “We value the key role our colleagues play to keep our stores well stocked, and we have negotiated in good faith with the GMB to make a fair, competitive and sustainable pay offer that recognises rising inflation. We are disappointed this has been rejected.”

Asda said it expected the GMB to honour a national recognition agreement under which the next step would be a meeting between the union, the supermarket and the conciliation service Acas...