MATALAN workers in Merseyside have “won the largest core pay offer” in the company’s history after having “stuck together” on strike action.

The GMB union announced today that over 500 of its members at the retail giant’s warehouses in Knowsley had officially called off planned industrial action — overwhelmingly accepting a pay deal brokered by union representatives.

The workers began a series of strikes in August against management’s offer of a 1.5 per cent pay rise, which is a real-terms pay cut.

But future strike dates were suspended on Friday after management offered to renegotiate with the GMB.

The new deal — which was backed by 87 per cent of workers — is set to include a 4.6 per cent increase for most employees.

The Morning Star understands that the deal will also include a £90 one-off payment and backdated pay from July onwards for all staff on core shifts.

GMB senior organiser Neil Holden said: “This has been an incredibly stressful time for our members. They’ve been on strike for weeks, worrying about how they will feed their families and pay their rent.

“They sacrificed their wages — which were only just above the minimum wage — to do what’s right for them and their colleagues.

“But because they’ve stuck together and shown solidarity, they can rightly hold their heads high today.

A statement from Matalan management said: “We are delighted that our employees in our Knowsley distribution centre have voted conclusively to accept the largest core pay offer our company has ever offered.

“We always look to ensure Matalan is a great place to work.”