New contract a 'slap round the face' say striking British Gas workers

Workers at the company have taken to picket lines across the region over new contracts with "worse" terms and conditions attached, union chiefs say.

GMB union bosses say the move would mean hourly pay rates for people would be 15 per cent below agreed pay rates along amid other adverse changes.

It comes as the row with British Gas and the union continues over the "fire and rehire" tactic which affects more than 1,000 workers in the West Midlands.

Workers have already been on strike for six days in January and February and a four-day strike is now taking place until Monday, with further actions planned throughout the month.

Paul Vowles, from Cannock, has been with the company for 18 years and called the policy a real "slap round the face" after their work during the pandemic.

He said: "At the very start of this we were key workers working in Covid-positive houses and we were delivering food parcels to the Trussell Trust on behalf of British Gas.

"These changes will strip every part of our terms and conditions. And the main thing, for me, is that I've got two little daughters and I'll miss out on them growing up.

"This pandemic has taught us how important family is and to be stripped of those rights, it's a real slap in the face for all of us and it's making us all angry."

Demonstrations have been held across the Black Country and Staffordshire – including near Lichfield Cathedral and the homes of Wolves, West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa.

A worker, who lives in the Black Country and wished to remain anonymous, said he had been with the company more than 20 years and felt "betrayed" by the news.

He said: "I have worked for the company for 22 years and at a conservative estimate have worked in over 1,000 homes during a global pandemic whilst also volunteering to support Trussell Trust during the first lockdown last year.

"Many of my colleagues have even volunteered to work in Covid confirmed homes to make sure that our customers have had heating and hot water. So, to be threatened with fire and rehire for not accepting this dreadful new contract leaves me feeling entirely betrayed and completely undervalued and has given me many sleepless nights for a number of months."

The worker said the changes would impact his family – both in terms of their finances and him being able to spend time with them, due to being contracted to work an extra three hours per week for no extra pay.

He added: "On top of that, overtime rates are being reduced – I would have to work even longer hours to take home the same amount of pay as I have done up until now.

"Our core working hours are also being extended with the caps on unsociable hours removed. We currently get given a 26 week shift pattern but under the new contract our shifts can be given at six weeks' notice and holiday requests will be subject to business demands meaning that even planning a family holiday will be difficult. Other parts of the contract will raise questions over my job security with the company in the future."

The engineer said he recognises the need for modernisation – which has been the company's defence – but said there was no financial justification for the changes being introduced.

He said: "We are not asking for more money; we just want the company to honour the terms and conditions that we signed up to. The company also wants to put in place a bonus/performance measurement scheme alongside the new contract which reduces the amount of time engineers can spend on a job.

"We work in an industry where a mistake can cost lives. The contract is indicative of a senior leadership team that is out of touch with both its employees and its customers."

Justin Bowden, GMB national secretary, said: "There are serious questions as to why a profitable British Gas is treating customers and staff so badly.

"Questions must be asked as to why the law allows British Gas to invent a crisis to try to impose an hourly rate – 15 per cent lower than agreed rates – and other adverse changes in conditions on its field engineers through the ‘fire and rehire’ mechanism.

"The way that British Gas has treated loyal employees should not be tolerated in any company, let alone one of the size and profitability of Centrica [which owns British Gas]."

A spokesman for Centrica said: "We’ve done everything we can with the GMB to avoid industrial action.

"Whilst we’ve made great progress with our other unions, sadly the GMB leadership seems intent on causing disruption to customers during the coldest time of the year, amid a global health crisis and in the middle of a national lockdown.

"Over 83 per cent of our workforce have already accepted our new terms, in which base pay and pensions are protected, including a significant majority of GMB members.

"This shows most of our people understand that our business needs to change because customer needs are changing. GMB’s mandate for strike action is weak; they are fighting against modernisation and changes which will help to protect well paid jobs in the long term and are doing so at a time that our country needs everyone to pull together."