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Taco drivers to be balloted on strike action over 'changes'
Page 12
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Drivers at Tesco's Livingston depot are staging a strike ballot; the supermarket giant believes "industrial action will achieve nothing'. David Harris reports.
DRIVERS BASED at Tesco's Livingston distribution depot arc voting this week on whether to Arike over alleged changes to their ay and conditions.
Their union, the Transport & 3eneral Workers Union (T&G) ;ays it fears that changes affecting he 250 drivers at Livingston would )e the "first step" in a larger plan )y Tesco to change drivers' workng conditions nationally.
Ron Webb, national secretary 'or transport at the T&G, reports hat shop stewards based in other ireas "saw the attack on their :olleagues in Scotland as a first step byTesco against all the plants".
The T&G claims that Tesco is attempting to change its employees' terms and conditions, as well as de-recognising the union and introducing a 'no strike' agreement into any deal.
ATesco spokeswoman describes the union's allegations as "highly misleading" and says that "any suggestions from the union that the staff will lose up to £5,000 are complete nonsense".
She adds: -All we're doing is changing the way we pay our existing staff, not what we pay them. Tesco has enjoyed more than 30 years of good industrial relations with our staff and their unions within our distribution network. We strongly believe that continued discussions are the way forward and that industrial action will achieve nothing."
But the T&G remains adamant. Tony Trench, regional organiser and spokesman for the Livingston drivers, says: "With the strike ballot starting on Monday [16 April] and the proximity of the Scottish elections, I'm sure we'll get a good turnout of politicians wanting to know what is happening to their voters."