Profitable company provoking further disruption for customers
Profitable company is provoking further disruption for customers to add to backlog queue already of more than 100,000 households
Thousands of British Gas workers are set to strike for a second time this week, as the company faces seven days of action - after two new strike days were added on January 30 and 31.
GMB members at British Gas will withdraw their labour on Wednesday 20, Friday 22, Monday 25, Friday 29, Saturday 30, Sunday 31 January and Monday February 1.
British Gas engineers and staff are striking against Centrica boss Chris O’Shea’s fire and rehire cuts to pay and terms and conditions.
A high number of households have been disrupted by the dispute so far and GMB understands those waiting for service already number more than 100,000 across the country.
Last week British Gas Managers were hit by Stockport MP Navendu Mishra calling on the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to investigate Centrica for ‘engineering an employment situation which results in the insurance cover that customers purchased in good faith not being honoured’.
British Gas parent company Centrica reported an operating profit (before exceptional items and tax) of £901 million in 2019.
The operating profitability of its UK home heating business rose by 27 per cent in the first six months of 2020.
Justin Bowden, GMB National Secretary said:
“The strike is stepping up a gear this week with further days of action, with the company apparently disregarding its customers and its obligations.
“In the face of growing employee and customer discontent, and after the first round of the biggest and most successful gas strike in decades, the management of profitable British Gas continue to bury their heads in the sand.
“British Gas workers have already rejected pay cuts on pain of fire and rehire, yet in the face of condemnation across the political spectrum, Chris O’Shea refuses to listen to his workforce despite Centrica being a company of underlying profitability.
“Instead of lashing out the engineers who overwhelmingly rejected his plan and voted to take strike action, Mr O’Shea should withdraw fire and rehire and enter constructive discussions with GMB to avert further disruption.”
