93% of the GMB members at the London-headquartered packaging giant voted in favour of industrial action according to a statement released by the union earlier this week.
Workers at five sites – Louth, Lincolnshire; Featherstone, Yorkshire; Clay Cross, Derbyshire; Devizes, Wiltshire; and Livingston, Scotland, could take part in the strike, as early as the end of this month.
DS Smith has tabled an offer of a 3% consolidated increase plus a consolidated payment of £760 for 2022-23 which GMB said that, with inflation at 12.3%, “represents a massive real terms pay cut for members who worked throughout the pandemic”.
GMB national officer Eamon O’Hearn said: "DS Smith members worked through the pandemic, helping keep the company afloat through troubled times.
“It turns out that the company was hugely profitable during the pandemic, now [our members need the] company to step up and help them through the cost of living crisis.”
He added: “A strike at DS Smith could have serious implications across a range of household names – not least Amazon which gets packaging from the company.
“DS Smith can afford to do better – they need to table a serious offer that respects the contribution of our members, to nip this industrial action in the bud.”
WiltshireLive quoted reaction from a DS Smith spokesperson: “We are disappointed with the vote for industrial action, particularly at a crucial time for all of our customers.”
The spokesperson added “robust contingency plans” are in place, while negotiations with unions are ongoing: “We aim to find a solution that works for everybody.”
Consumers have already been affected in recent weeks by the strikes at Royal Mail Group, which are set to recommence on 24, 25, and 30 November as well as 1 December, although Royal Mail Group and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) are currently in negotiations on all aspects of pay and change.
DS Smith’s overall performance for the current full financial year is expected to be ahead of its previous expectations.
In a trading update released last month, the business said its trading continues to be very good, and consistent with the trends described in its AGM trading statement in September.
