GMB Calls On British Gas To Come Clean

15 Jan 2010

“GMB has seen internal company correspondence which talks about cutting 25% of non customer facing employees. GMB understands that customer facing employees are also likely to see large cuts in job numbers. The total number of job cuts is likely to run into up to 5,000 with sites being earmarked for closure. The job losses will impact on sites at Stockport, Edinburgh, Addingstone near Glasgow, Leicester , Leeds, Cardiff, Oldbury in West Midlands and Southampton. The job losses in the pipeline we believe far exceed those that were expected as a result of the restructuring arising from the creation of One British Gas. One British Gas is the business being created by bringing together of British Gas Energy, British Gas Services and British Gas Business. This process was always likely to generate efficiencies. GMB has not had a straight response on the question of job cuts when the issue was raised with Phil Bentley, the head of One British Gas. GMB is demanding that the company come clean and start talking honestly now about their plans. The staff are working flat out in what looks like the busiest period the company has ever had. Contact centres have been open until 4am in the morning. Engineers and the staff have been performing heroics to try and keep customers warm. Our fear is that once the busy period is over the axe will fall”