Nearly 200 lorry drivers reject pay rise offer and vote on strike action. Here’s why

The drivers are employed by GXO, which operates logistics services for NHS Supply Chain under a contract awarded in 2025. According to Unite, those taking part in the ballot are based in Alfreton, Bridgwater, Normanton, Maidstone, Rugby, Bury St Edmunds and Washington. The union’s announcement also lists Cheshire among the regions affected.

The workers drive HGVs and other vehicles carrying general equipment and supplies to hospitals across the country. Unite said the 4% offer had been rejected almost unanimously and argued that GXO employees should not be compared directly with NHS staff because their employment conditions, including pension arrangements, are less favourable.

GXO, according to the union, has said Supply Chain Coordination Limited (SCCL), which is wholly owned by NHS England, considers the proposed increase already higher than the pay settlement offered to NHS employees.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said the offer needed to be improved, while regional officer Phil Silkstone said industrial action could still be avoided if an acceptable proposal was put forward. The ballot closes on 17 September; no strike dates have currently been announced.

GXO contract covers more than 300 NHS delivery vehicles

The potential impact is significant because GXO’s role extends across a large part of NHS Supply Chain’s national distribution operation.

NHS Supply Chain awarded GXO its Logistics Services Provider contract in May 2025, with the company taking over the service in October that year. The initial contract runs for seven years, with an option to extend it by up to another three years.

At the time of the award, NHS Supply Chain said the operation comprised eight distribution centres across England and a fleet of more than 300 delivery vehicles. The network supports the delivery of more than 35 million healthcare products each year, ranging from food and everyday consumables to medical equipment including knee implants and MRI scanners.

The drivers currently being balloted therefore form part of a much wider logistics system serving healthcare facilities across the country.

NHS Supply Chain says standard stocked products are normally delivered within 48 hours, subject to customers’ preferred delivery days. Its distribution operation serves not only hospitals but also other healthcare locations, including GP surgeries and dental practices.

Emergency supply arrangements already exist

A strike would not necessarily mean that hospitals were immediately left without critical products. NHS Supply Chain maintains separate arrangements for urgent and emergency requirements.

For products needed because of a clinical or medical emergency, it operates a 24-hour service throughout the year and says stocked products can be delivered within five hours of an emergency request being received. Same-day or next-day “special pick” arrangements can also be made for urgent requirements outside the normal delivery cycle.

Nevertheless, industrial action involving drivers across several regional distribution centres could put pressure on routine replenishment and require contingency arrangements if the dispute is not resolved.

The next key date is 17 September, when the industrial action ballot closes. A successful vote would give Unite the option of calling strikes, although further negotiations could still prevent action from taking place.