The DHL drivers and warehouse operatives are based at JLR factories in Ellesmere Port, Evans Road and Halewood in the North West and Tyrefort, Midpoint and Hams Hall in the West Midlands.

Unite members voted for strike action in a dispute over pay and other issues. These include average holiday pay rates, subcontracting issues and redundancy packages that would leave workers “cast out on inferior statutory terms in the event of cutbacks.”

Three 24-hour strikes will be held across the six locations on 31 March, 1 April and 2 April with each beginning at 00.01 hours and ending at 23.59 hours.

Unite national officer Matt Draper said: “Unite has entered into negotiations with DHL and JLR in good faith yet both have failed to meaningfully engage with the issues at hand. 

“This is a tough time for the car industry and our members in particular and it is clearly unfair that redundancy packages for DHL staff will leave them financially worse off than JLR workers if jobs are lost. 

“Our members, whose loyalty and commitment to DHL and JLR has never been doubted by either firm, have no choice but to go on strike in the face of contracts that would see them cast out on inferiorstatutory terms in the event of cutbacks. 

“DHL still has time to avoid these strikes by engaging with Unite rather than trying to conduct negotiations in public and attempting to undermine the negotiating committee at every opportunity. 

“DHL has made healthy profits on the JLR contract over the years. It now needs to do the right thing and look after its workforce.”