Workers at a Tesco depot in Didcot, Oxfordshire are set to strike over new contracts that do not include a pay increase.
- Cleaning and catering staff, outsourced to facility management company Atalian Servest, are affected by the lack of negotiation over pay.
- Current pay rates for cleaners at the depot are £11 per hour, with no extra pay for weekends and bank holidays.
- Unite the Union is leading the strike action, with four planned strikes in September 2023.
- Atalian Servest reported a gross profit of £84 million in 2021, yet refuses to negotiate pay increases.
Employees at Tesco’s Didcot depot, particularly those in cleaning and catering roles, have been thrust into industrial action due to unresolved pay disputes. The workers have been placed on new contracts that fail to include any pay rise, a situation that has prompted significant unrest. The absence of meaningful negotiation has left the workers feeling undervalued, leading to the decision to strike.
The core of the dispute lies with Atalian Servest, the facility management firm overseeing the outsourced staff. Despite the company’s robust financial performance, evidenced by a gross profit of £84 million in 2021, it has refused to engage in discussions about increasing wages. This has been perceived as a concerted effort to prioritise profit margins over employee welfare.
Cleaners at the depot are currently earning £11 per hour, which remains stagnant irrespective of working on weekends or bank holidays. Catering staff are similarly experiencing wage stagnation, being paid the minimum wage of £10.42 per hour. The discrepancy between the pay and the demands of the job has been a catalyst for the growing discontent among staff.
Organised by Unite the Union, the strikes will commence with two single-day strikes at the beginning of September, followed by two three-day strikes later in the month. This planned industrial action underscores the workers’ resolve to seek fair compensation and workplace respect. Unite’s General Secretary, Sharon Graham, stated that Atalian Servest can afford a pay rise, and its failure to do so is a cynical attempt to boost profits at workers’ expense.
With Tesco’s recent move to allow flexible working rights, the strike highlights the disparity between corporate policies and the realities faced by outsourced staff. Unite’s regional officer, Scott Kemp, warned that the strike action would result in operational disruptions, particularly affecting cleanliness and canteen services at the depot.
The impending strike actions underscore the critical need for Atalian Servest to engage with workers and address their pay concerns to prevent further disruption.
