Climate of fear

Over 500 EDF energy workers today (Wednesday December 3) started voting in an industrial ballot in a row over pay and the sacking of a colleague who allegedly ate a ‘Dairylea Dunker’ while driving.
The staff, who work in EDF’s meter reading section across London, the south east, south west and eastern England, have grown fearful as the number of sackings on the flimsiest evidence increases.

“We had hoped that EDF would see sense and step back from this trumped up sacking,” said Onay Kasab, Unite regional officer.

An HR manager from EDF Energy claims she spotted a driver for the company, managed to see inside his van and recognise the brand of cheese snack he was allegedly eating as she was driving on the M25, the UK’s busiest road.

She also managed to memorise his registration number until she arrived at her destination and could write it down.

“Instead EDF is sticking to a pattern of attacking workers, where so called allegations which a year ago would have gone nowhere, now lead to people losing their jobs,” said Onay.

Anger has also mounted over a two per cent pay offer, which workers feel does little to address real term pay cuts of previous years and a continued squeeze in living standards.

“Members have had enough of this climate of fear, which is being compounded by a pay offer that does nothing to alleviate years of real terms pay cuts and the continued squeeze in living standards,” added Onay.

The ballot for strike action or action short of a strike runs from Wednesday December 3 to Wednesday December 17.

“Feelings are running high and unless management get around the negotiating table and talk meaningfully, there is every prospect that they will have a strike on their hand,” said Onay.

There have been roughly 20 disciplinary cases in the metering section of EDF Energy.