London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 17, 2025

Lorry driver shortage: strike threat at two firms increases supply chain fears

Lorry driver shortage: strike threat at two firms increases supply chain fears

Staff at Tesco-owned Booker and cement producer Hanson move closer to industrial action
The threat of strike action by lorry drivers at two firms supplying the construction industry and convenience stores has raised the prospect of further disruption this autumn amid Britain’s worst supply chain meltdown since the 1970s.

A group of drivers at the Booker distribution network, which is part of Tesco, and more than 200 drivers and engineers at Hanson, the cement producer, have moved closer to industrial action in disputes over pay and conditions.

Union leaders warned the pay disputes risked deepening the supply shortage crisis hitting many parts of the British economy because of a lack of HGV drivers, coming after years of firms underpaying staff and offering poor working conditions.

About 40 drivers employed by Booker at its Thamesmead site in south-east London have voted unanimously for strike action in a dispute over pay – a move that risks severe disruption to deliveries at more than 1,500 small shops operating under the Londis and Budgens brands across the capital and the south-east.

Meanwhile, more than 200 lorry drivers and engineers employed by Hanson, on the Castle Cement contract, will hold a ballot for strike action after rejecting a pay offer, raising the threat of further disruption in the construction sector.

The drivers supply several key construction projects across the UK, including the Hinkley Point nuclear power station, the HS2 rail line, the Sellafield nuclear decommissioning plant and the Thames Tideway super sewer project.

The threat of strike action comes as severe shortages of workers and raw materials trigger widespread disruption across the British economy, in a crisis caused by the fallout from Covid, Brexit and years of underinvestment.

Unite, the trade union representing both sets of workers, said the disputes reflected issues with working conditions and pay.

At Booker, the union is poised to issue the employer with notice for strike action but wants to allow time for crunch talks with company bosses later this month that could still avert industrial action.

The dispute centres on the firm paying a temporary £5 an hour uplift for about 40 drivers at its Hemel Hempstead depot in response to staff shortages – a move not replicated less than 50 miles away at Thamesmead.

Paul Travers, a Unite regional officer, said the dispute had been “pockmarked by very poor employment relations” with the company. “This is really ‘smell the coffee’ time for the bosses at Booker.”

A Booker spokesman said: “We are naturally disappointed with last week’s ballot result from our Thamesmead drivers but look forward to sitting down with their Unite representatives on 21 September and working together to find a resolution.”

Drivers and engineers at Hanson have rejected a pay offer of 2.5% for this year, which union leaders said amounted to a “hefty pay cut”, with the retail price index measure of inflation running at 3.9%.

In addition to pay, the workforce is unhappy about the high-handed management style and a marked lack of dignity at work. If strikes do occur, then large and small construction projects will swiftly run short of cement as many only have limited storage facilities, Unite said.

Adrian Jones, a Unite national officer, said the solution was in the company’s hands. “The company needs to return to the negotiating table and demonstrate genuine changes to the way our members are managed and make an offer on pay that reflects the current challenges in the industry and the commitment our members give to the company,” he said.

“With the ongoing driver shortage, our members are seeking a pay increase which recognises their hard work and dedication.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Trump: Cancel quarterly company reports and settle for reporting once every six months
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
US Launches New Pilot Program to Accelerate eVTOL Air Taxi Deployment
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Hong Kong Industry Group Calls for HK$20 Billion Support Fund to Ease Property Market Stress
Joe Biden’s Post-Presidency Speaking Fees Face Weak Demand amid Corporate Reluctance
Charlie Kirk's murder will break the left's hateful cancel tactics
Kash Patel erupts at ‘buffoon’ Sen. Adam Schiff over Russiagate: ‘You are the biggest fraud’
Homeland Security says Emmy speech ‘fanning the flames of hatred’ after Einbinder’s ‘F— ICE’ remark
Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assassin Tyler Robinson Faces Death Penalty as Charges Formally Announced
Actor, director, environmentalist Robert Redford dies at 89
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
JD Vance Says There Is “No Unity” with Those Who Celebrate Charlie Kirk’s Killing, and he is right!
Trump sues the 'New York Times' for an astronomical sum of 15 billion dollars
Florida Hospital Welcomes Its Largest-Ever Baby: Annan, Nearly Fourteen Pounds at Birth
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
×