• The retailer’s plans to transfer 96 of its in-house drivers have been disputed by trade union Unite
  • The majority of balloted employees at Argos’ Magna Park warehouse voted to strike
  • Argos faces strike action from June 7 to June 12

Argos warehouse staff have voted to strike over plans to transfer the last of the retailer’s delivery drivers to logistics company Eddie Stobart.

The retailer’s plans to outsource management of its delivery drivers this month has been disrupted after 75% of 420 balloted employees voted to strike against the action, according to the Leicester Mercury.

Trade union Unite said the main concern of the retailer’s Magna Park employees was that the rest of its supply chain workforce would also eventually be transferred “with possible detrimental effects on pay, employment conditions and job security”.

The strike, which will begin at one minute past midnight next Tuesday and continue until just before 6am on Sunday June 12, will be held in a bid to ensure the 96 drivers affected remain employees of Argos.

Unite has also requested that any transferred employees’ jobs are protected by for a minimum of three years by the Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment (TUPE).

Unite regional coordinating officer Paresh Patel said: “The strength of the mandate for industrial action reinforces our members’ desire to remain employed at Argos.

“The management can avoid this action by rescinding the decision to outsource the drivers to Eddie Stobart.”

Argos said in a statement: “Argos customers will not experience any disruption in the event of a proposed strike at its Magna Park distribution centre, which is one of several distribution centres around the UK.

“The strike relates to the intention to TUPE the site’s 100 driver colleagues to Eddie Stobart Ltd. Contingency plans are in place to ensure that customers are unaffected by the proposed strike.”

The retailer, which reported flat full-year sales of £4.09bn in April, is the subject of an investigation by the Competition Market Authority over Sainsbury’s planned £1.4bn acquisition of its parent firm Home Retail Group. 

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