B&Q behaviour is “beyond contempt,” say Mandate Trade Union
Tuesday 12 February 2013The announcement today that 92 workers in B&Q will be made redundant in Athlone and Waterford is “beyond contempt” according to the Mandate Trade Union.
The Union, which represents a large proportion of the workerforce in the home improvement retailer say that the workers have been treated in the most inhumane manner possible.
“Coming off the back of a refusal by the company to meet with the workers’ representatives in order to address the concerns of their own loyal workforce, this confirms our suspicions that the company is using the examinership process as a way to drive down costs at the expense of their own staff,” said Gerry Light, Mandate Assistant General Secretary.
“For any worker to discover they have lost their job in this manner shows a basic lack of decency on the part of those in a position of power.”
The Union also say that the company has some explaining to do in terms of why the company is in examinership.
“While we understand that many retailers have been struggling in this current economic climate, and while we recognise the fact that B&Q owe €17 million to their parent company, Kingfisher plc, they have not explained what has happened to reserves they built up over the past number of years. It is less than two years since B&Q UK & Ireland announced a profit increase to £215 million. (24/3/2011).
“Is this the case of a company exporting profits during the good times and when a difficult period inevitably comes, the company uses the opportunity to address the high rental contracts and conveniently attack the living standards of their own workers, many of whom helped build those profits in the past?
“We’d also like to establish what exactly is meant when Kingfisher plc. say they will support B&Q provided there is “implementation of a cost-cutting programme and the successful negotiation of a survival scheme.”
Mr Light said, “This is a worrying enough time for all of the workers in B&Q without reading in the media that their terms and conditions, including their income, could be up for renegotiation.
“Mandate Trade Union will continue to make representations on behalf of our members and we will resist any attempts to undermine the conditions that they enjoy in B&Q.
“Due to the dismissive nature of B&Q management towards their workers, the Union will now be focusing our energy on an urgent meeting with the examiner to establish what has been going on in this company and what the future will be for these workers,” concluded Mr Light.
