Supermarkets face strike threat

Grampian Food Group has three sites in Scotland

Supermarkets could face protests outside their stores after workers for a food supplier threatened to walk out over a pay dispute.

About 2,000 workers at Grampian Foods will be balloted for strike action unless the row is resolved.

The Transport and General Workers Union said demonstrations could hit Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda and Morrisons stores.

The ballot will cover Grampian Foods and related sites in Cambuslang, Coupar Angus and Fairview near Edinburgh.

Chris Kaufman, T&G national secretary for food and agriculture, said: "This should not come as a shock to Grampian.

"We have warned the directors that unless they got a grip of what was happening at their various plants we would go down this route. They haven't, so we will."

As well as a row over pay, the union is in dispute over planned changes to pension benefits and the use of agency staff.

A spokesman for Grampian Country Food Group told BBC Scotland's news website that until the firm had any official union notification of a strike vote, he could not comment.