July 2008 Argos Workers Ready To Strike Some claim Argos distribution centres may suffer major disruption as workers vote for industrial action in a pay dispute. A 4% pay offer was rejected, with the union to catalogue the stoppage dates in the next few days. The union said a below-inflation wage offer is a pay cut and this is totally unacceptable to it's members. The governments official inflation rate CPI is around 3.3% at this time, making the Argos offer of 4% some 0.7% (some 23% above the CPI), grappling fiscal policy can be difficult, particularly if one runs out of fingers and toes. Unite warned Argos that the company faces "severe disruption" to its customer distribution service. Unite's grasp of Argos’s modus operandi assumes the client base would continue to purchase goods from Argos with no chance of delivery, even when there is the very real alternative of purchasing the goods elsewhere. Further claims that many distribution workers are doing back-breaking, essential work, may bring further un-catalogued stoppages should the Health & Safety Executive hear of these injuries. Unite said: Our members have been working harder and more flexibly. Physiotherapists have often indicated that flexibility will help with suppleness & less problems with backache. |
