British Gas strike to go ahead today as Acas talks falter & company refuses to end fire & rehire
Strikes by British Gas workers are back on from today after the company refused to take fire and rehire off the table.
Around 7,000 British Gas engineers will down tools for four days from today until February 23 over the company’s plan to sack them all and rehire them on worse terms and conditions.
These are strike days 19 to 22 of the ongoing dispute.
GMB entered into these ACAS brokered talks in good faith, but a deal is only possible if the company takes its fire and rehire plan off the table.
Justin Bowden, GMB National Secretary
A four-day strike was suspended last weekend to allow talks between GMB and British Gas to take place at ACAS.
GMB says the talks require the company to drop its fire and rehire plan if a deal is to be possible.
The field staff bargaining group rejected the fire and rehire cuts and have already taken part in 18 days of strike action.
A further eight days of industrial action, in two lots of four-day strikes, beginning today and on February 26 – ending at 23.59 on March 1.
Justin Bowden, GMB National Secretary, said:
“Strike days 19 to 22 will go ahead at British Gas after talks at ACAS faltered because the company refused to end the fire and rehire notice.
“GMB’s executive has determined action could continue to mid-April in this deadlocked dispute.
View this post on Instagram
“GMB entered into these ACAS brokered talks in good faith, but a deal is only possible if the company takes its fire and rehire plan off the table.
“After 18 days of strikes, more than 210,000 homes are in a backlog for repairs and 250, 000 planned annual service visits have been axed.
“The company is misleading the media that it is catching up after 24 hours.”
