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CALL NOTICE/PRESS RELEASE

 

Wednesday 22nd July 2009

Immediate Release

Attention: News desk, Picture Desk, Energy & Utilities, City, Industrial and Political Correspondents

 

GMB Members At National Grid To Stage “Ferrari” Demonstration At Company AGM To Protest Against Exporting North East Jobs To India

GMB accuse company of bullying staff facing redundancy as company demand closing of GMB “National Greed” website set up after motion to GMB Congress

 

GMB members employed by National Grid in Newcastle upon Tyne will stage a protest demonstration outside the National Grid AGM in Birmingham next Monday. They will have with them toy Ferrari cars to draw attention to National Grid paying the costs of dehumidified garaging for a Ferrari of a former National Grid senior executive at Storacar, “The Hotel for Fine Automobiles” while they face the sack as their jobs are under threat of being outsourced to India.

The demonstration with take place from:

1PM ON

MONDAY 27TH JULY

THE ICC

BROAD STREET

BIRMINGHAM

B1 2EA

 

They will have placards with slogans “Say no to “national greed” at National Grid” and “Jobs and Justice for Newcastle National Grid staff”.

GMB are conducting an official strike ballot at National Grid Newcastle in a bid to stop 181 jobs being out sourced to India. This follows on from 97% of these staff having already voted to take action in a consultative ballot organised by the Union in early June. GMB will announce the result of the ballot and the form of industrial action to take place later next month.

This follows an Emergency Motion calling on GMB to support the National Grid workers being carried by GMB Congress last month. See text of motion in Notes to Editors below.

Gary Smith, GMB National Secretary said, “There will be a demonstration at the National Grid AGM next Monday. GMB members will call on National Grid to reverse it approach to exporting these jobs.

It also needs to stop bullying these workers by trying to close down the “National Greed” website http://www.nationalgreed.co.uk/ set up after the vote at GMB Congress.

This proposed Newcastle site closure is nothing but an act of irresponsible corporate greed, made possible by Ofgem’s failed and discredited regulatory regime.

National Grid recently announced massive global profits of £2,915 million in the year ending 31st march 2009, a 12% increase on the previous year. Despite these huge profits, staff and unions at Newcastle have been working with the company to identify further cost savings of £3m. The company plans to sack these workers and offshore their jobs.

GMB will announce the result of the strike ballot and details of planned industrial action later next month.”

Ends

Contact: Gary Smith, GMB National Secretary on 07710 618909 or Joan Anderson, GMB Organiser on 07870 176732 or GMB Press Office: Steve Pryle on 07921 289880 or Rose Conroy on 07974 258123.

Notes to Editors: This is the text of the Emergency Motion carried (Monday 15th June 2009) at the GMB Congress in Blackpool.

“National Grid Greed

Congress notes with dismay the announcement made at a meeting with GMB shop stewards on Friday 5th June 2009 of impending redundancies at national grid’s Newcastle site. congress further notes that national grid’s plans to close this site would destroy 181 local jobs in its shared services function in Newcastle, and that the company have consistently failed to rule out offshoring work currently carried out in Newcastle to low wage economies such as India.

 Congress believes this site closure is nothing but an act of irresponsible corporate greed, made possible by ofgem’s failed and discredited regulatory regime. Congress notes that National Grid recently announced massive global profits of £2,915 million in the year ending 31st march 2009, a 12% increase on the previous year. Notwithstanding these huge profits, staff and unions at Newcastle have been working with the company to identify further cost savings of £3m. Yet despite this, the company plans to sack these workers and offshore their jobs.

 Congress condemn’s national grid’s actions in the strongest possible terms. it pledges full support to the workers in the fight to save their jobs, and calls upon the company to abandon this unnecessary and unjustified closure.

 Congress calls for the CEC to instigate a national campaign of opposition to National Grid, by mounting local opposition to any planning applications submitted by the company throughout the UK.   

Congress also recognises that National Grid is set to benefit financially from the huge investment required in the UK’s energy infrastructure, and therefore calls upon government ministers to intervene and support GMB members who are the victims of the company’s corporate greed by:

·        exerting the maximum possible pressure on National Grid to exercise some loyalty and commitment towards the Newcastle workforce that has helped it to become a successful and highly profitable business.

·        changing the rules by which Ofgem operates to ensure that in considering future funding rounds, socio-economic considerations are taken into account, such as the need to ensure companies retain skilled UK jobs.

Transco 1 Branch, GMB Northern Region”