Movianto medical warehouse staff start five-day strike in Kempston

Workers are manning a picket line to protest their union is not formally recognised

Workers at a warehouse that distributes medical equipment and medication have started a five-day strike.

Employees at Movianto in Kempston, near Bedford, said the firm had refused to formally recognise their union, Unite.

About 90 unionised workers took part in a ballot in December and 80% backed industrial action, the union said.

Movianto said it "acknowledges" the workers' right to strike and was "committed to maintaining open lines of communication".

The Movianto warehouse is on Bell Farm Way in Kempston

Staff at the warehouse work in a number of roles including forklift truck drivers and pickers.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said Movianto "are continuing to stick their fingers in their ears".

"Our members want formal recognition for their union and are now heading to the picket line in their campaign," she added.

Unite regional officer Richard Gates said the strike could be halted "tomorrow" if employers recognised the union

Unite's regional officer, Richard Gates, claimed the union had about 90 members at the warehouse, which was "about 60 or 70%" of its workforce.

He said the company and its staff played a vital role storing and distributing vaccines during the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Gates said strike action was taking place to ensure the union could represent staff over pay and working conditions.

The picket line was expected to be in place all week between 05:30 and 15:00 GMT each day.

Mr Gates said "we can stop this tomorrow," if the union was recognised.

'Without disruption'

In a statement, Movianto appeared to dispute Unite's figures, and said there were 350 employees at Kempston and that about 55 were involved in Monday's action.

"Movianto acknowledges the rights of its teammates to take collective action," said a spokesman.

"Movianto believes that this action is unsupported by the majority of teammates within its Bedford site.

"Due to the substantial depth of expertise within the Bedford site and the unwavering dedication of those teammates who chose not to participate in the strike, Movianto has continued to deliver life-saving medicines without any significant disruptions."

The company added that it was "dedicated" to resolving the issues through "open dialogue" and would engage "extensively" over the issue with its 1,800 staff across the UK.