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PRESS RELEASE
1 of 1 page
Monday 8th June 2009
Immediate Release
Attention: News desk, Utilities, Industrial and
Political Correspondents
GMB MEMBERS AT NATIONAL GRID
TO SEEK AUTHORITY FOR STRIKE BALLOT TO STOP OFF-SHORING OF 181
JOBS
GMB fear job cuts in July at
National Grid as company prepares to cut and run from the north
east
GMB members at National Grid in
Newcastle have decided to seek authority from the GMB Northern
Regional Committee for a strike ballot to stop the off-shoring of
jobs from the North East to overseas. GMB Organisers attended a
mass meeting on Friday 5th June at the National Grid
Newcastle site where this decision was made.
The National Grid Newcastle offices
are based at Quoram 4, on the Quoram Business Park, Benton Lane,
Newcastle. The site employs over 181 employees, including long term
agency workers. The workers on the site are responsible for
procurement, HR functions, payroll, accounts and invoicing.
GMB believes that 181 jobs are at risk
in National Grid's shared services function. GMB believes
that the Company is planning a first tranche of redundancies in
July, with a view to making further cuts and off-shoring the
work to low wage economies such as India. GMB has
consistently asked the company to confirm that they will not off
shore work to India. The Company has declined to give any
commitments to the Newcastle employees.
Joan Anderson, GMB Regional Organiser,
said, "At an angry meeting on Friday last, over 100 staff
committed to undertaking a ballot to establish a campaign to fight
for the future of the Newcastle site. The staff is furious with the
employer. There was real anger and we believe that our
members are going to vote to fight the redundancies and closure at
Newcastle.
National Grid has 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
savings. The joint working between unions and employees has
found £3m in savings. However, the GMB understands that this
bloated fat cat utility is still proposing to close the Newcastle
Office, with a loss of 181 jobs.
GMB believe that the whole of
the North East is going to be outraged at the prospect of a
company, making £3bn in profit, sacking workers in Newcastle and
off-shoring jobs. This is a prime example of corporate
greed. We are also demanding from the Company that they give
commitments to long term agency workers in Newcastle, as there are
agency workers who have worked for the Company for up to 6 years,
they deserve full employment rights."
Gary Smith, GMB National Secretary
said, "GMB believe that National Grid have not conducted
themselves in an open and transparent way. Staff and unions
are finding out about cuts and redundancies by a process of
rumour. It seems that they have been talking to employees
about saving money, but increasingly it seems that they have been
trying to massage their staff into a coma whilst in a background
they are prepared to cut their throats. One of National
Grid's competitors is offering a commitment to not to offshore
their back ground office functions. National Grid is the most
profitable company in the sector and the employees deserve the same
commitment."
Ends
Contact: Joan
Anderson, GMB Organiser in the North East on 07870 176732, Gary
Smith, GMB National Secretary on 07710 618909 or GMB Press Office:
Steve Pryle 07921 289880 or Rose Conroy 07974 252183.