More than 3,000 Tesco warehouse workers and HGV drivers in Belfast, Didcot, Doncaster and Thurrock are being balloted for strike action over pay, Unite said.
The distribution workers are demanding the same pay rise granted to store staff, with the ballot set to close on 17 August.
According to Unite, the distribution workers have so far rejected a 4% pay rise, while store staff have been given a 5.1% increase.
The move comes at a time when Tesco is making “massive profits”, the union said, and its members have now voted overwhelmingly in a consultative ballot in favour of strike action.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham: “Tesco is making massive profits and paying out millions in shareholder dividends and executive pay while their own workers are left to struggle with a baked-in cost-of-living crisis.
“If the bosses at Tesco won’t give their warehouse workers and HGV drivers a fair piece of the pie, they could soon start to see empty shelves in their shops across the country. Unite will be backing these workers 100%.”
The UK’s largest supermarket chain reported adjusted operating profits of £3.2 billion for 2025/26 and forecasts adjusted operating profit of between £3 billion and £3.3 billion for 2026/27.
“There is still time for industrial action to be avoided but that will require Tesco making an acceptable offer,“ added Unite national officer for road transport and logistics Adrian Jones.
Strike action would involve around 700 Didcot workers, 400 Belfast workers, 600 Doncaster workers and 1,400 Thurrock workers – a move that Unite says could severely impact distribution to Tesco stores across the UK.
However, the retailer said it has measures in place to avoid any disruption to stock availability.
In a statement given to Food Manufacture, a Tesco spokesperson said: “We have made a fair offer which would see colleagues receive an above-inflation pay award.
“We remain focused on reaching an agreement, and have well-established contingency plans to ensure there are no issues with availability.”
