According to Unite, drivers based at Morrisons distribution depots in Wakefield, Stockton-on-Tees and Northwich in Cheshire voted for strike action on 4 June, but negotiations with Eddie Stobart led to a deal before any industrial action took place.
The dispute centred on Eddie Stobart’s use of agency drivers. Unite had claimed that around 40% of drivers at the Stockton and Northwich depots were agency workers, and argued that the company was replacing directly employed staff with workers on less secure contracts and weaker terms and conditions.
The drivers supply Morrisons supermarkets with grocery products across the north of England. Unite had warned last month that strike action could disrupt deliveries and lead to empty shelves in stores.
The union said on Thursday that the strike threat had ended after the company signed a deal to address what Unite described as “union-busting”.
The dispute had also put Morrisons under pressure, despite the drivers being employed by Eddie Stobart rather than the supermarket chain. In May, a Culina Group spokesperson said the company had been involved in “ongoing constructive consultations” with Unite about a long-term approach to driver recruitment and retention amid the national driver shortage.
Unite has presented the outcome as a victory for the drivers. The case highlights the continuing tension in UK road transport between agency labour, directly employed drivers and collective bargaining rights, particularly in supermarket distribution networks where any disruption can quickly affect store availability.
