Staff at Morrisons supermarket depots are to stage nine days of strikes in a dispute over expected job cuts.
Members of the T&G union at depots in Bristol, Wakefield and Northwich will begin walkouts from 23 September. The GMB’s members at Aylesford in Kent and Warrington, Cheshire are expected to join them after 60% voted to strike.
Three days of strikes are planned from 23 September, then six days from 29 September. The unions will also ban overtime.
The unions believe Morrisons is planning to close three distribution centres – Aylesford, Bristol and Warrington – with the potential loss of 2,500 jobs. The depots were acquired following Morrisons’ takeover of Safeway in 2003.
The company has confirmed that it is unlikely all of its depots would remain open.
Paul Kenny, GMB acting general secretary, said: “This is a clear message from the Morrison workforce to the management of the company to listen to them and be honest about the future.
“Sir Ken says his door is always open. Now he must be prepared to meet the unions for some straight talking and some serious negotiations if the strike action is to be averted.”
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