"Tesco: Pre-Christmas strikes planned by 6,200 depot staff", 7 December 2021

Tesco is facing potential disruption ahead of the key Christmas period at more than half of its 22 UK distribution centres, unless an agreement is reached with its staff.

The union Usdaw said 5,000 of its members had rejected a proposed 4% annual pay rise.

They will join Unite union members in taking industrial action at a total of 13 of the supermarket chain's distribution centres.

Tesco said the pay offer was fair...

The Usdaw action would affect nine Tesco distribution sites. But it follows a warning from 1,200 Tesco staff represented by the Unite union, who said they would also take industrial action at up to five distribution centres before Christmas.

Unite said the 4% pay rise amounted to a "real terms pay cut" due to inflation. The cost of living rose by 4.2% in October, its highest rate in almost 10 years...

Usdaw said its members had voted to take action at sites in Daventry, Goole, Hinckley, Lichfield, Livingston, Magor in south Wales (two sites), Peterborough and Southampton...

A Tesco spokeswoman said that customers could be confident it would fulfil it plans over the Christmas period.

"Our distribution colleagues have worked tirelessly through the pandemic in order to keep products moving for customers. The pay offer we have made is a fair recognition of this," she said.

The spokeswoman added that the pay offer is one of the highest made within Tesco's distribution business in the last 25 years.