Updated: Argos distribution workers begin three-week strike

The strike has been prompted by plans by Sainsbury’s-owned Argos to move around 500 employees from a distribution hub in Leicestershire to Northamptonshire.

Trade union Unite has accused Argos of failing to give guarantees that workers’ future terms and conditions will be safeguarded and said 1,100 workers have been affected.

Protests will be staged outside a distribution site in Burton-on-Trent.

Unite officer for logistics and retail distribution Matt Draper said Sainsbury’s was “pulling the strings behind the scenes” at Argos.

He said: “We want a comprehensive national agreement with the employer covering redundancy and severance packages.”

The union has warned that deliveries to customers will be severely hit during the strike, but earlier this month, Argos claimed it had a contingency plan in place should the action go ahead.

The retailer also said that Unite’s demands were “unreasonable”.