Industrial Dispute Timeline for Argos

July 2008: On 17 July Argos workers in the Unite union launched a strike against an insulting pay offer of 3.8%, and the employer’s attempt to move them from weekly to monthly pay without any compensation. After a solid start to the strike it was eventually called off when Argos management revised their earlier pay offer.

January 2009: Unite condemned the decision by Argos to close its Trafford Park distribution site with the loss of over 200 jobs.

December 2011: Agency workers officially employed by Adecco at Argos in Burton on Trent, Staffordshire held a demonstration at the Argos site at Barton Business Park “against ‘pay apartheid’ which sees their pay packets up to £120-a-week lighter than their full-time colleagues” (see video).

(Note: Judith Sprieser who served as a board member of Adecco from 2008 until 2010 is presently a director of Experian plc. This is significant because in 2006 both Experian plc and Argos’ parent company (Home Retail Group) were formed following the demerger of the long-established UK conglomerate Gus plc.)

December 2011: Workers based at the Argos ‘Eurocentral’ warehouse in Motherwell, Scotland, undertook twenty-four hours of strike action on Thursday 8^th December in defence of their pension rights. The dispute organized through Unite involved over thirty-five drivers and warehouse operatives currently employed by the sub-contractor Norbert Dentressangle.

February 2012: Unite disputes Argos’ decision to close one of its most efficient distribution sites, employing about 750 staff, at Corby, Northamptonshire.

June 2012: Argos continues utilizing free labour through the government’s workfare program.

September 2012: Unite union members at four of Argos’ key regional distribution sites (Basildon, Bridgwater, Heywood and Magna Park in Leicestershire) are taking strike action against their employer’s decision to end their final salary pension scheme. The strike runs for four days from Wednesday 19 September. There will be pickets at distribution depots, and the union will be leafleting Argos stores to explain to customers what a shoddy deal Argos gives its employees.

September 2012 picket in Lutterworth.

July 2014: On Friday 4 July UNITE members in 5 Argos distribution depots took their second day of strike action to oppose attacks on their terms and conditions. Management are trying to force through 12 changes, including compulsory changes to their shift pattern which will affect the work-life balance of workers, especially those with families.