NATIONAL FIVE DAY STRIKE BY GMB MEMBERS AT BRITISH GAS BEGINS AT 00.01 ON THURSDAY, 7 JANUARY 2021 OVER ‘FIRE & REHIRE’ CUTS IN PAY
Loyal workers have been provoked into this strike by CEO of profitable company and now they will make their voices heard, says GMB Union
A national 5-day strike by GMB members at British Gas will commence at 00.01 on Thursday, 7, January 2021.
Various pickets are planned across the country, in line with Government guidance – but because of the pandemic, they are all subject to change [please use contacts list at the bottom of the pandemic for up-to-
date information on which pickets are going ahead].
The strike comes after GMB conducted a strike ballot of 9,000 members in December 2020. An overwhelming 89% voted in favour of industrial action. This vote was after parent company Centrica said it would impose ‘fire and rehire’ cuts to workers’ pay and terms and conditions on pain of dismissal.
GMB is calling on the public to ask why British Gas CEO Mr O’Shea is provoking an engineers’ strike with ‘fire and rehire’ pay cuts, in the depths of winter. This is against the backdrop of the company reporting operating profits of £901m in the latest available annual accounts. (Centrica PLC recorded a group-wide operating profit of £901m in 2019, the company’s accounts reveal). [1]
And Centrica declared an adjusted operating profit of £229 million for its domestic heating business in the UK for the six months to 30 June 2020 – up 27 per cent on the same period in the previous year. [2]
Earlier this week, the union called on the Centrica Board to rein in Chief Executive Chris O’Shea, who is due to take home an annual package worth almost £800,000 this year – twenty times the basic earnings of an experienced British Gas engineer. [3]
Justin Bowden, GMB National Secretary said:
“British Gas boss Chris O’Shea’s attempts to bully workers into accepting cuts to their pay and terms and conditions has provoked this inevitable outcome – massive disruption to customers in the depths of winter and a stain on the reputation of an historic company and brand.
“GMB is calling on the public to ask why British Gas CEO Mr O’Shea is provoking an engineers’ strike with ‘fire and rehire’ pay cuts, in the depths of winter.
"This is against the backdrop of the company reporting operating profits of £901m in the latest available annual accounts.”
End
Gary Pearce, GMB London Region Senior Officer (Energy), 07850036952
Notes to Editors:
[1] Centrica PLC, Annual Report and Accounts 2019, page 114 https://www.centrica.com/media/4204/annual-report-and-accounts-2019.pdf
[2] Centrica PLC, Interim Results 2020, published 24 July 2020, page 9 https://www.centrica.com/media/4472/2020-interims-presentation.pdf
[3] GMB calculations based on a basic salary of £675,000 plus 10% pension contribution and other benefits. O’Shea’s basic salary is due to increase to £775,000 when ‘the company resumes normal operations.’
