Bosses ‘not to be trusted’

The roll-out of a Smart meter installation programme across London and southern and western England will be hit when EDF Energy staff stage two days of strike action later this month in a dispute over pay cuts, job losses and working extended hours to install the meters.

Unite, representing nearly 500 staff, said that if the proposals were allowed to go through some of its members would lose up to £6,000-a-year in income which was ‘totally unacceptable’.

Meter readers and fixers, office staff and managers will be striking for 24 hours from 12.01am on Wednesday August 12 and at the same time on Thursday August 20.

They had voted by a margin of 85 per cent for strike action and 92 per cent were in favour of industrial action short of a strike.

The strike will disrupt the training of staff to use and install the Smart meters, designed to give more accurate readings centrally, and cause inconvenience to consumers expecting a visit to install the new meters.

Unite accused the company of backtracking on an agreement with Unite last year to protect current staff – that deal was thrashed out after three days of strike action.

“The company has shown yet again that it is not to be trusted,” said Unite regional officer Onay Kasab. “We have an agreement protecting current staff, which the company interprets as a license to propose longer working hours, pay cuts and job losses.

Totally unacceptable

“For example, company proposals could mean some of our members losing about £6,000-a-year,” he added.  “How can anybody interpret a pay loss of £6,000 as ‘protection’ for current staff? This is totally unacceptable.

“EDF Energy is failing to abide by last year’s agreement whereby current staff would not be adversely affected by the company’s programme to introduce Smart metering.”

“The strikes will disrupt the introduction of the Smart meter programme that the company is so keen to continue to roll out.”

The dispute follows the employer’s failure to resolve a list of issues including extended working hours to install Smart meters, but withdrawing the London allowance which could mean a pay cut of up to £6,000.

The failure to grant any pay awards for staff on personal contracts, despite saying performance pay should be awarded if targets are met was another issue raised in the dispute, as well as job losses caused by managers applying for their own jobs, and if rejected, facing potential unemployment.

The EDF Energy sites affected include:

Broadway, Bexley Heath, Kent, DA6 8ET; Georgiana Street, London NW1 0QS; Three Bridges, Crawley RH10 1QQ; Speedwell, Bristol BS15 1NT; Osprey Road, Exeter EX2 7WN; Exeter Business Park, Exeter EX1 3UT; Outland Road, Plymouth PL3 5TU; Portland Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 5S; and Canning Town, London E16 4TL