MORE than 700 Co-op drivers are being balloted for industrial action over its proposal to transfer about 50 staff to haulier Eddie Stobart.

Drivers based at Birtley, near Chester le Street, and Newcastle are among those being balloted.

Andy Perry, logistics director at Co-operative Food, has said that there are no plans to outsource either the other areas of transport operated by the Co-op or any of its warehouse functions – but this is disputed by Unite who said that its members did not believe these assurances.

Unite national officer for retail distribution Adrian Jones said: “Basically we have heard it all before and while it may be copper bottomed, it is not cast iron.

“Our members are not yet convinced that this will not happen again. The other aspect is that the TUPE [Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment)] to controversial haulier Eddie Stobart is not consistent with the values and principles of the Co-op.

“Our members want to stay with the Co-op and our members nationally are intent on supporting their colleagues in Coventry.”

In 2012, Unite was embroiled in a long-running dispute when Tesco in Doncaster TUPE’d 184 workers to Eddie Stobart. The drivers were then issued with a termination of employment notice with no prospect of re-employment. Many of those drivers are still out of work, the union said.