{"id":5028,"date":"2015-07-30T16:56:37","date_gmt":"2015-07-30T15:56:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=5028"},"modified":"2015-07-30T16:56:37","modified_gmt":"2015-07-30T15:56:37","slug":"no-compulsory-redundancies-call","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=5028","title":{"rendered":"No compulsory redundancies call"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The plans by Centrica to axe 6,000 jobs were branded as \u00e2\u20ac\u0098unnecessary and driven by the pursuit of excessive profits\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 by Unite today (July 30), as profits doubled at its British Gas business.<\/p>\n

 
\nUnite, which has about 700 members across Centrica and British Gas, called for no compulsory redundancies and said that job losses should be confined to natural wastage and voluntary means.<\/p>\n

 
\nUnite regional coordinating officer for Centrica Paresh Patel condemned the trousering of profits by an energy company that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s enjoyed so much financial success.<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe very healthy profits at British Gas for the first half of 2015 should be directed at maintaining employment and further reducing the bills to the hard-pressed consumer, rather than going into the pockets of institutional shareholders,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n

 
\nCentrica said the job losses would be through redundancies, but it also said it would create jobs in growth areas, so the net impact could be about 4,000 job losses. In the first half of 2015, profits at British Gas’ residential arm rose to \u00c2\u0141528m up from \u00c2\u0141265m a year earlier.<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bUnite is insisting that any compulsory job losses should be kept to a minimum and that a reduction of the workforce should be made either through natural wastage or voluntary means,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Patel added.<\/p>\n

 
\nHe went on to criticise the last-minute way in which management notified workers about the redundancies.<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bUnite members are outraged by the way the company has made this announcement through the media with many employees finding out about the decision on their way to work \u00e2\u20ac\u201c this is no way to treat a dedicated workforce in the 21st Century,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Patel said.<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bUnite has requested an urgent meeting with senior executives to understand in more detail the impact of their latest decision on the workforce.<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThis is yet another devastating blow for both those directly employed and people working within the supply chain for Centrica, which is leading to skilled workers leaving the industry.<\/p>\n

 
\nPatel emphasised that government, too, needs to step in to keep energy companies in check.<\/p>\n

 
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u015bMinisters need to wake up and start to work with both employers and trade unions to ensure that the energy market works for the consumer and the thousands of people who are employed within the sector,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he noted.<\/p>\n

 
\nUnite members embrace electrical engineers, staff in power stations and call centres, as well as those in the supply chain who may be affected by Centrica\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s strategic review of its business operations.<\/p>\n

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