logo-loader

Argos workers plan three weeks of strikes over Sainsbury's cost cutting measures

Published: 16:08 02 Aug 2017 BST

Argos
Sainsbury's bought Argos for £1.4bn last year

Argos is facing three weeks of strikes by its workers over redundancy and severance packages following cost cuts by parent company J Sainsbury plc (LON:SBRY), the Unite union has warned.

Unite said deliveries to customers of the UK catalogue retailer will be severely hit during the labour strike, which is planned to run from 15 August until 5 September.

The union is “angry” that Argos failed to give guarantees on future terms and conditions for workers at its logistics sites after nearly 500 workers were transferred from its Lutterworth distribution hub in Leicestershire to Wincanton Logistics in Kettering, Northamptonshire.

Unite national officer for logistics and retail distribution Matt Draper said: “What we are faced with is the thin end of the wedge with Sainbury’s pulling the strings behind the scenes – and that the not-so-hidden agenda is serious cost-cutting to the detriment of our members. 

“The transfer of the workers from Lutterworth to the Wincanton site at Kettering, whether they wanted to go or not, led to this strike ballot.”

Since Sainsbury’s agreed to a £1.4bn takeover of Argos in April 2016, the group has been axing jobs in an effort to lower its costs as fierce competition in its core supermarket business hits sales.

As part of its restructuring efforts, Sainsbury’s decided to close its warehouse in Magna Park, near Lutterworth, and transferred jobs to the Wincanton site.

“The transfer of the workers from Lutterworth to the Wincanton site at Kettering, whether they wanted to go or not, led to this strike ballot,” Draper said. 

“We want a comprehensive national agreement with the employer covering redundancy and severance packages, as well as our members at Barton being covered by such an agreement and to be allowed into the national forum, if they so wish, which is not the case at present.”

An Argos spokesperson insisted that customers will not be affected by the strikes and should be reassured that full contingency plans are in place.

Oriole Resources outlines 2023 achievements and future exploration plans

Oriole Resources PLC (AIM:ORR) CEO Tim Livesey and chief financial officer Bob Smeeton join Proactive's Stephen Gunnion with details of the company's 2023 financial and operational performance. Livesey highlighted successful exploration programs in Cameroon, at the Bibemi and Mbe projects,...

1 hour, 28 minutes ago