Matalan workers vote to end strike after accepting pay deal
Striking workers at the Knowsley warehouse site of out-of-town discount retailer Matalan have ended their dispute after accepting an improved pay offer.
More than 500 staff had been on strike since August after management made a pay offer which, the GMB union claimed, amounted to a real terms pay cut.
The strikes were suspended last Friday after Matalan bosses made a new pay offer. Members voted on the offer over the weekend and it was today (October 22) announced 87% had accepted the new deal.
The deal is understood to be worth 4.7% for all Knowsley distribution centre colleagues on core shifts, while pay will be backdated from July 14, for all the Knowsley distribution centre colleagues on core shifts, who will also receive a one-off payment of £90.
The union says the final deal differs across the shifts, but said the vast majority of GMB members received a 1.7% mandatory minimum wage uplift with an additional negotiated 2.9% increase added on top.
The deal included an assurance that future pay deals will always be backdated to the pay anniversary date, which was one of the fundamental issues of the industrial action.
Neil Holden, GMB senior organiser, said: “This has been an incredibly stressful time for our members. They’ve been on strike for weeks, worrying about how they will feed their families and pay their rent.
“They sacrificed their wages – which were only just above the minimum wage – to do what’s right for them and their colleagues.
“But because they’ve stuck together, and shown solidarity, they can rightly hold their heads high today.
“Now they can get back to work and, along with Matalan, put this behind them.”
A Matalan spokesperson said: “We are delighted that our employees in our Knowsley distribution centre have voted conclusively to accept the largest core pay offer our company has ever offered, and which is amongst the highest in the sector. We are proud to be a major employer in the North West and always look to ensure Matalan is a great place to work.”
