Sainsbury’s warehouse staff to strike over absence policy

Workers at the grocer’s Waltham Point distribution centre have voted in favour of industrial action, which will include “a series” of 24-hour strikes.

It comes after a ballot of the 380 Usdaw members who work at the depot. Almost three-quarters of the 250 staff who voted backed plans to walk out.

Details of the policy Sainsbury’s has implemented are currently unclear. But Usdaw said it hoped that the supermarket giant would “return to the negotiating table” with a “significantly improved offer” in order to stave off the strike.

Usdaw divisional officer Nigel Scully said: “Usdaw has engaged positively with Sainsbury’s in an effort to reach a compromise, but the company has so far failed to make an offer acceptable to our members. This breakdown in negotiations has forced Usdaw to conduct an industrial action ballot and our members have overwhelmingly backed a series of 24-hour strikes.

“It is deeply regrettable that the company has pushed our members to this point and we urge them to bring forward an offer in line with our members’ expectations.”

A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “We have contingency plans in place to minimise any disruption this may cause our customers.”