SOME of the UK’s most popular restaurants could face severe disruption to their deliveries this Christmas as the GMB Union launches a strike ballot among workers.
Almost 600 members working for Bestfood will take part in a strike ballot after rejecting the company’s latest pay offer.
The workers, who deliver fresh food to the likes of Pizza Express, KFC, Zizzi, Burger King, Wagamama and Pizza Hut rejected a 6% pay offer, which the union said would amount to a real terms pay cut this year and into next.
A total of 93% of GMB members rejected the offer, with 85% indicating they wanted to be balloted formally for industrial action.
GMB national officer Nadine Houghton said: “These workers bust a gut to deliver fresh, just in time food to some of the biggest names in the business.
“Bestfood’s parent companies Booker and Tesco are making incredibly healthy profits and paying large dividends, while leaving these workers crushed by the cost of living.
“Now some of their biggest clients may well be left short this Christmas because they won’t meet GMB’s reasonable request for a pay deal that protects our members through this year and into next with a genuine cost of living increase.”
Dates for the strike ballot will be announced in the coming days.
Bestfood has been contacted for comment.
