Merseyside Matalan warehouse workers strike in pay dispute

Image caption, GMB members voted in favour of strike action at the store's distribution centre in Knowsley

About 500 Matalan warehouse workers have begun a 24-hour strike amid an ongoing row over pay.

Members of the GMB union at the clothes store's distribution centre in Knowsley, Merseyside, walked out at 14:00 BST.

The industrial action is the result of an "insulting pay offer," a GMB spokesman said.

Matalan said it was "deeply disappointed" that a "small portion of union members" voted for the strike.

Further strikes are expected to follow after last-minute talks failed on Monday morning, the GMB added.

Workers voted to walk out after management made a pay offer which would see some workers receive a rise of 1.5%, the equivalent to a real-term pay cut, the union said.

"It's not too late for management to listen to workers and get back round the table with us to work out a fair deal," GMB organiser Stephen Boden said.

Matalan said the 1.5% pay rise relates to around 25% of employees who work weekend shifts and will be an increase on their 拢11.14 pay rate.

But a spokesman for store said the majority of staff would receive a 4.7% pay increase and the offer - for all distribution centre staff on core shifts - was "the largest our company has ever offered without any other changes to T&Cs".

The spokesman added: "It is well above inflation and cost of living increases as well as amongst the highest offered in our sector."