The head of Unite has written to David Potts the CEO of Morrisons supermarket chain to call on him to "fund a fair pay increase for workers based in Gibraltar taking strike action to defend their living standards".

A statement from Unite follows below:

Workers in Morrisons in Gibraltar have been on strike since 30 January in a dispute over a paltry 2.4 per cent pay increase when the retailer’s underlying profits for last year were a massive £828 million.

Workers in Gibraltar earn around £2 per hour less than their counterparts in the UK for undertaking the same job. The imposition of this pay deal means that the lowest paid worker at Morrisons Gibraltar will be paid £8.47 per hour, just above the Gibraltar minimum wage.

In a letter to David Potts, Sharon Graham called on him to demand that local management get back around the negotiating table.

Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham said:“Morrisons is a hugely wealthy retailer. Last year the supermarket raked in £828 million in profits. There is no excuse for underpaying workers in Gibraltar.

“David Potts must to intervene to end this dispute. The strike is solid, it’s receiving strong support in Gibraltar and Unite is firmly behind the workers. Unless local management get back to the negotiating table the dispute will escalate.”