Show of Defiance: British Gas strike ‘rock solid’ as members prepare to burn their contracts

British Gas workers are burning the new contracts to show graphically their defiance of the imposition of hourly pay 15% below the agreed rate, says GMB Union.

Day six of the British Gas strike was ‘rock solid’ as an estimated 7,000 workers downed tools over the company’s plan to sack them all 

Meanwhile angry engineers across the country are set to burn new contracts – which they have been told they must sign, or be fired in March: 

In a show of defiance, engineers across the UK will burn new contracts tomorrow (Friday 22 January) at 10am: 

London: Havering Town Hall, Main Road, RM1 3BB 

Edinburgh: Scottish Gas call centre, 1 Waterfront Avenue, Edinburgh EH5 1SG 

Cardiff: British Gas Customer Call Office, 4 Callaghan Square, Tresillian Way, Cardiff, CF10 5BT 

Windsor: Centrica HQ, Millstream, Maidenhead Road, Windsor, SL4 5GD 

Leeds: British Gas Call Centre, New Bridge House, Leeds, LS11 5BD 

Uddingston: Scottish Gas, Murdock House, 29 Bothwell Road, Uddingston G71 7TW 

Leicester: 195 Aylestone Road, Leicester, LE2 7QJa 

Stockport: British Gas Office, New Bridge Lane, Stockport, SK1 2HQ 

Members across the country – picketing at their vans due to the pandemic – will also be filming and photographing their contracts being burned at the same time.  

Engineers and other workers will also down tools on January 22, 25, 29, 30, 31 and February 1 in anger as profitable British Gas provokes further disruption for its customers.  

British Gas engineers and staff voted overwhelmingly by 89% to strike after boss of parent company Centrica Chris O’Shea threatened to fire them all if they didn’t “accept” cuts to pay and terms and conditions.  

The strikes provoked by the company have caused massive disruption already – with an estimated 100,000 homes waiting for service across the country.  

British Gas parent company Centrica reported an operating profit (before exceptional items and tax) of £901 million in 2019.  

The operating profitability of its UK home heating business rose by 27 per cent in the first six months of 2020.

Justin Bowden, GMB National Secretary, said:  “GMB members at British Gas are burning the new contracts to show graphically their defiance of the imposition of hourly pay 15% below the agreed rate – as well as other changes. 

“This is yet another attempt get through to Mr O’Shea that staff accepting cuts of this magnitude in a profitable company is wishful thinking in the extreme. 

“British Gas has provoked disruption to more than 100,000 households already in the backlog for services. That number will grow due to the seven new strike dates. 

“The company needs to put customers and staff first by abandoning wishful thinking and taking ‘fire and rehire’ off the table.