Supermarket strikes suspended after improved offer

Further strikes by Morrisons workers have been suspended after an improved pay offer from the Bradford-headquartered supermarket chain, a union has confirmed.

Around 1,000 employees in West Yorkshire and Cheshire walked out from 23 to 26 May in a dispute over pensions and take-home pay.

Another strike was due to take place at warehouses in Wakefield and Northwich between 13 and 16 June, but Unite says it called this off as a “goodwill gesture”.

A Morrisons spokesman responded the business was pleased it had found a “way forward subject to the result of the ballot”.

The union said workers were being forced to raise their own pension contributions while Morrisons cut theirs by the same amount.

Unite said this had left workers £500 a year worse off, with pay and conditions issues also being dispute. But Morrisons previously said it had offered workers a 9% pay increase.

Adrian Jones, Unite national officer, said: “As a goodwill gesture, and following a new offer from Morrisons, we are suspending any planned strike action while we ballot our members.”

A spokesman for Morrisons told the BBC: “We are pleased that through open communication with Unite we have together found a way forward – subject to the result of the ballot.”