GMB Magazine GMB25 Candid Summer 2016 | Page 4

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On pay and co

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on pay and conditions

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year, raising the minimum wage to
£7.20 an hour, but just for over-25s.
Whatever Osborne’s intentions were,
people are now suffering across many
businesses and industries because the
government is not monitoring how the
NLW is being implemented.

OPENING DOORS
GMB regional organiser Michael Ainsley said:
“We have noted press statements from B&Q
that they will continue to negotiate with
staff over a two-year period. I have written
to B&Q CEO Michael Loeve twice calling
on the company to open its doors,
recognise GMB, and give employees a real
voice if it is serious in wanting to negotiate
a better package.”
Of course, consulting with a staff
association and negotiating with GMB are
two completely different things – as staff
associations can only nod through whatever
fait-accompli they’re presented with.

UNSCRUPULOUS

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The government promised a ‘step
up in pay’ but that’s in tatters.
Growing numbers of unscrupulous
companies like B&Q are giving
what is at best a step sideways in
pay, but in many cases workers
will be worse off. That’s why you’re
better off in GMB.
The government are signalling
anything goes and it’s perfectly
OK to rip up employment
contracts and threaten dismissal.
GMB will not accept inferior
terms and will always campaign
for members’ rights.

©iStock.com

MB members working for B&Q,
along with most of the public,
thought they were about to
benefit from an uplift in their
pay thanks to the government’s introduction
of the National Living Wage (NLW). But far
from benefiting from a small uplift in their
earnings, they’ve found it’s being more than
offset by changes to their pay and conditions.
A petition drafted by an anonymous B&Q
employee accused the chain of slashing
employee benefits. It has attracted
more than 140,000 signatures.
B&Q is removing time-anda-half pay for working
Sundays and double time
for bank holidays. It will
restructure zone allowances
for employees working in parts
of the UK where the cost of living
is higher and is removing summer
and winter bonuses, which equate
to six per cent of annual salary. Staff
are being forced to accept the new
WORSE OFF?
terms and conditions or their
B&Q have implemented National
contracts will be terminated and
Living Wage but made other cuts.
they'll be offered new terms
which are even worse.
This is scandalous behaviour
from a company which made
a pre-tax profit of £512 million in
2015 and £644 million in 2014!
GMB welcomes better pay for
hard-working people, however
the NLW will be of small comfort
to members and their families if
employers seek to undermine it
by making changes that actually
make them worse off.
The NLW has been causing
controversy since Chancellor
George Osborne announced it last
04 CANDID – GMB London

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20/06/2016 15:28