420 workers set to strike at Stobart’s Lutterworth site

The simmering row over Argos’ plans to transfer 96 drivers in Leicestershire to controversial haulier Eddie Stobart (ESL) has now escalated to a strike ballot of more than 400 workers at the Lutterworth site.

The 420 workers, members of the Unite union, are concerned that if the drivers are transferred to ESL that the rest of the workforce will follow with possible detrimental effects on pay, employment conditions and job security.

The workers, including drivers, warehouse and admin staff, will be balloted from Tuesday 17 May on whether they want to take strike action or industrial action short of a strike in a bid to remain employees of Argos. The ballot closes on Tuesday 31 May.

Unite regards ESL as a “poor employer with a hostile attitude to its workers.”

Unite regional coordinating officer Paresh Patel said: “Our members consider that the identity of their employer is a vital condition of their contract of employment and they don’t want that term being changed unilaterally, as is being currently proposed by Argos for the 96 drivers.

“If that happens, our members will regard this as the thin end of the wedge and that the rest of the workforce may face the same fate. After a fashion, the ballot is a back-handed compliment to Argos.

“We believe there has been a failure by the Argos management to adhere to the spirit of the national forum agreement between the management and unions in this respect.

“The basis for this ballot is that our members feel that their current terms and conditions will be best protected by maintaining the identity of and employment with their current employer.

“This dispute will remain unresolved until we receive an undertaking from Argos that it agrees that it will continue to employ our members.”

Argos outsources the rest of its driver network, about 350 drivers, to Wincanton and Unites says the ESL proposal has sparked concerns that the Wincanton drivers could also end up working for ESL.