BCM Fareva has proposed slashing members’ terms and conditions, including sick pay and redundancy payment provisions, while pre-emptively threatening to ‘fire and rehire’ staff if agreement cannot be reached on the proposed changes. Usdaw has informed the company of the result and again calls on them to avoid industrial action by removing their threat to ‘fire and rehire’.
Daniel Adams - Usdaw National Officer says: “The proposal to drastically cut sick pay and other terms and conditions for these key workers, who have given their all through the coronavirus pandemic, is totally unacceptable.
“Coupled with the unnecessary threat to ‘fire and rehire’ staff before we had even started discussions, the company’s course of action means we have been left with little choice other than to ballot our members for industrial action.
“Over 90% of Usdaw members have now voted in favour of industrial action, which shows the strength of feeling on the company’s proposals and their confrontational approach. Only BCM Fareva can stop this now and prevent a strike by withdrawing their ‘fire and rehire’ threat.”
Industrial action ballot – Usdaw trade dispute with BCM employment & management services
The independent scrutineers' report for the above ballot, which closed at noon on Wednesday, 2 June 2021, is as follows:
389 individuals were entitled to vote in the ballot,
239 votes were cast.
Question: Are you prepared to take part in strike action?
- Yes 220 (92.1%)
- No 19 (7.9%)
- Spoilt or otherwise invalid voting papers returned: 0
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest trade union with over 400,000 members. Membership has increased by more than one-third over the last couple of decades. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter
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