Prospect of strike action at DHL South Yorkshire sites
The union Unite has warned that warehouse workers at two South Yorkshire DHL Supply Chain sites at Tickhill, Doncaster and at the nearby site at Harworth plan to start their rolling programme of strikes on 15 May in protest at the proposed closure of the Harworth site and a pay offer of 1.25% for the year starting June 2016. According to a statement sent by Unite to Post&Parcel today (4 May), union members working at hteh sites voted by a majority of 78% to strike for 24 hours on 15 May; for three days from 25 May; and for 11 days from 1 June. All strikes will start at 22.00.
Unite regional officer Harriet Eisner said: “The strikes are in response to a derisory pay offer of 1.25% and in the context of a brutal TUPE – Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations – manoeuvre which will see the closure of DHL’s Harworth site and potential job losses for many of the 150 workers based there.
“These are individuals, many of whom are ex-miners, who walk or cycle to work from the neighbouring villages of Tickhill and Harworth and will be expected to travel 20 miles to the site at Markham Vale, operated by Great Bear Distribution, where warehouse workers are paid £1 an hour less.
“We want to resolve the dispute and protect as many jobs as possible by replacing agency workers with the permanent staff who face relocation to Markham Vale.
“For those that can’t undertake the new travelling distances, we want a guarantee of a generous redundancy package.”
Eisner added: “We urge the management at DHL and Great Bear to negotiate in a constructive fashion before this dispute escalates and disruption for their customers occurs very swiftly.”
