More than 500 workers at Matalan’s Northern Distribution Centre based in Knowsley, Merseyside, had been on strike after management made a pay offer which amounted to a real-terms pay cut.
Our members have been worrying about how to feed their families – today they can rightly hold their heads high says GMB Union
GMB member’s long running strike at Matalan was called off today after they accepted a new, improved pay deal.
More than 500 workers at Matalan’s Northern Distribution Centre based in Knowsley, Merseyside, had been on strike after management made a pay offer which amounted to a real terms pay cut. The industrial action has been going on since August, with some strikers erecting tents outside the warehouse.
The strikes were suspended on Friday after Matalan bosses made a new pay offer. Members voted on the offer over the weekend and it was today announced 87% accepted the new deal.
The final deal is complex and differs across the shifts but the vast majority of GMB members received a 1.7% mandatory minimum wage uplift with an additional negotiated 2.9% increase added on top. The deal included an assurance that this future pay deals will always be backdated to the pay anniversary date, which was one of the fundamental issues of the industrial action.
Neil Holden, GMB Senior Organiser, said:
“This has been an incredibly stressful time for our members. They’ve been on strike for weeks, worrying about how they will feed their families and pay their rent.
“They sacrificed their wages - which were only just above the minimum wage - to do what’s right for them and their colleagues.
“But because they’ve stuck together, and shown solidarity, they can rightly hold their heads high today.
“Now they can get back to work and, along with Matalan, put this behind them,”
The GMB Representatives and the Matalan membership, would like to pass on their sincere thanks to everyone who came along and supported them on the Picket Line during the 8 weeks of strike action.
Matalan Branch Secretary Clare Hargreaves said "we were supported not only by GMB Officers and GMB Branches throughout but also by other Trade Unions members coming to show solidarity and from the public who showed their support by sounding their car horns when passing. The food and drink dropped off for the pickets, was really appreciated and although its hard to thank everyone individually who turned up; a special big thank you goes to Paul Richards - GMB Knowlsley Branch Secretary, Alan Kelly - Fans for Foodbanks, Kevin Nelson - Unison, Val Beach - Waspi and Clare Cooper - Labour Councillor (Skelmersdale) for their unswerving support and generosity through the whole of this dispute".
