UK: Fears of supermarket shortages as workers strike

Staff will stage a 24-hour walkout next month. The Transport and General Workers Union (T&G) said 57 per cent of its members backed the stoppage.

The Aberdeen-based firm - which operates at sites across the UK - said it was "very disappointed" at the decision. The firm supplies meat products to companies including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, and Marks and Spencer.

Union leaders said the strike, which could include protests outside selected stores, could disrupt deliveries. The action is set to begin at 6am on 5 April.

Staff were balloted yesterday at Grampian Foods sites in Perthshire, Edinburgh, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Essex, Somerset and Wales. The T&G said the dispute was over a pay freeze imposed last year and planned changes to pension benefits and the use of agency staff.

Chris Kaufman, the union's national secretary for food and agriculture, said: "Grampian is worth many millions but it will only cost them £3 million to settle this dispute."

In a statement, the company said: "Every effort has been undertaken to reach a resolution with the union. However, this has been unsuccessful. We are confident the impact on our business will be minimal."

Source: news.scotsman.com