Battered Morrison faces strike threat

MORRISON Supermarkets' troubled takeover of Safeway has run into yet more trouble. The group has enraged depot staff, putting store deliveries at risk and raising the spectre of a further downturn in sales.

The GMB union, which acts for 2,000 workers who joined Morrisons after the takeover, is balloting members on strike action.

GMB officer Jude Brimble says: 'The last time we had problems with Safeway was 13 years ago, but since Morrison has taken over the whole thing has gone completely pear-shaped. There has been a systematic culling of terms and conditions and our people have had enough.'

Chairman Sir Ken Morrison is already in the doghouse with City investors for issuing two profits warnings. He took his eye off the ball to focus on Safeway, resulting in a sharp drop in sales growth at the core Morrisons stores.

The potential strike involves two depots - Warrington near Manchester and Aylesford in Kent, which serve hundreds of stores, says the GMB. Workers fear that the group is preparing to shut the two depots because it needs to save cash.

Morrisons says it does not believe it has any unresolved issues with the union and is 'amicably' negotiating with staff. 'We are completely nonplussed by this and tried to