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An Eddie Stobart lorry passes through heavy snow on the A66 in the North Pennines
NEARLY 500 drivers supplying Morrisons ended their strike today after bosses signed a deal to end union-busting.
New HGV drivers at distribution depots in Wakefield, Stockton-on-Tees and Northwich in Cheshire will automatically be on full pay, terms and conditions when they join logistics firm Eddie Stobart.
Workers voted to strike over the employer increasing its use of agency staff to drive down standards of employment.
The company was planning to hire new directly employed drivers on lower pay and terms, as well as excluding temporary staff from collective bargaining rights given to permanent workers.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Eddie Stobart was gradually replacing its unionised Morrisons workforce with individuals on insecure contracts and significantly diminished pay, terms and conditions.
“The drivers’ strong strike response put an end to that — well done to them. Unite will not tolerate any employer seeking to union-bust or undermine our members’ wages or employment standards.”
Eddie Stobart was contacted for comment.
It is only trade union power at work that will materially improve the lot of working people as a class but without sector-wide collective bargaining and a right to take sympathetic strike action, we are hamstrung in the fight to tilt back the balance of power, argues ADRIAN WEIR