Tesco warehouse workers and drivers are set to cause chaos with strikes just ahead of Christmas.
The supermarket insisted it will keep shelves fully stocked despite the action by Unite and Usdaw unions.
Usdaw said the dispute involves 5,000 workers at several distribution centres after they rejected a 4% annual pay rise.
It follows similar action taken by Unite whose members are to stage a series of warehouse strikes in the coming weeks.
Usdaw said its members voted to strike from December 20 to Christmas Eve at sites in Daventry, Goole, Hinckley, Lichfield, Livingston, Magor in south Wales, Peterborough and Southampton.
Usdaw’s Joanne McGuinness said: ‘Retail distribution workers are key workers who delivered essential services throughout the pandemic, which in turn delivered a 16.5% increase in profit to Tesco for the first half of the year.
‘These workers deserve a decent pay rise as their reward for what they have done and continue to do day in day out.’
Meanwhile, Unite said more than 1,000 members at depots in Antrim, Belfast, Didcot and Doncaster will strike after rejecting the same pay deal.
The union said the 4% pay rise was ‘well below’ the current retail price index (RPI) inflation rate of 6%.
Workers at the Didcot and Doncaster sites will strike for 48 hours from 6am on December 16, followed by a further five-day stoppage from December 20. More strikes will be held at the two sites after Christmas.
Unite national officer Adrian Jones said: ‘Unite is taking strike action as a last resort having exhausted all other options.
‘Even at this late stage Tesco could still avoid severe disruption in its stores by returning to the negotiating table and making a greatly improved offer.’
A Tesco spokesperson said: ‘Our distribution colleagues have worked tirelessly through the pandemic in order to keep products moving for customers.
‘The pay offer we have made is a fair recognition of this, and is one of the highest awards made within our distribution business in the last 25 years, building on our highly competitive pay and rewards package.
‘We welcome the decision by our colleagues at the sites who have voted against industrial action.
‘We are disappointed that some have voted to proceed, and we have contingency plans in place to help mitigate any impacts.
‘We have worked hard to deliver Christmas for our customers and are confident we will be able to fulfil our plans.’
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