GMB presented the Scrooge of the Year Award 2020 to Mr O'Shea
GMB'S Scrooge of the Year is British Gas boss Mr O'Shea who stands to scoop £300k win from cutting pay for British Gas engineers
His fire and rehire plans do mean very substantial cuts in the pay per job for the British Gas engineers as well as much longer hours says GMB London
GMB presented the Scrooge of the Year 2020 award, on December 23rd in Berkshire, to British Gas boss Mr O' Shea. This is for his role in provoking a strike by British Gas engineers and that he personally stands to scoop £300,000 if his shareholding of £1.2m rises by 25% as forecast by City analysts.
See here link to video of the Scrooge presentation.
Earlier this month GMB members at British Gas overwhelming rejected his fire and rehire plans involving substantial cuts in pay per job and longer hours over an extended duration.
Faced with fire and rehire for refusing to "accept" these cuts, earlier this week GMB announced that total withdrawal of labour for five days from 00.01 Thursday 7 January.
Gary Pearce, GMB London Region Senior Organiser, said:
"GMB presented the Scrooge of the Year award 2020 to Mr O'Shea.
“Mr O’Shea stands to scoop a £300,000 windfall from his gamble that his shareholding in British Gas - now worth £1.2m - will increase if he succeeds in cutting the pay per job for British Gas engineers.
“That’s a mean gamble by Mr O’Shea as City analysts are forecasting that BG share price will rise by 25% by next spring. Like a gamble at Paddy Powers.
“Mr O'Shea is paid a salary package worth nearly a million quid a year.
“He would be a worthy winner of the Scrooge of the Year award for his provoking his loyal workforce to strike in the depths of winter against his fire and rehire plans.
“Mr O’Shea is trying to pull the wool over the public's eyes about what this dispute is about.
“He has yet to admit to the public that his fire and rehire plans do mean very substantial cuts in the pay per job for the gas engineers as well as much longer hours and worse working arrangements.
“He is personally in denial that the overwhelming majority of British Gas engineers have rejected his plans- 86% rejection in an 86% turnout and nine to one vote for strike action.
“This is a clear and decisive rejection of his plans. The public and the rest of the British Gas workers are very clear about this even if Mr O’Shea tries to kid himself that black is white.
“Mr O’Shea has to take full responsibility for all the disruption that is now unavoidable. His idea of compromise is to replace a 20% cut in pay per job with a 10% cut and then attack everyone who does not go along with this.”
Ba Humbug ...
End
Contact
Gary Pearce, GMB London Region senior Organiser 078 5003 6952
