GMB pledge support for John Lewis/Waitrose staff being outsourced
GMB will oppose job losses and wage cuts as Waitrose and John Lewis outsources "partners" to US owned real estate company. Staff are deeply unhappy about the prospect of moving to CBRE and some face losing thousands of pounds a year through the loss of bonuses they have come to expect over many years of service says GMB Southern Region
GMB has pledged to support maintenance staff at the John Lewis Partnership who are braced for job losses and severe cuts to take home pay as they face the loss of bonuses and benefits arising from being ‘partners’ in Waitrose and John Lewis.
Around 400 workers from across the country are either taking redundancy or are being outsourced to CBRE.
GMB is representing many of these staff across the country.
Nikki Dancey GMB Regional Organiser in Berkshire said,
"CBRE are currently refusing to honour the defined benefit pension scheme, the store discounts, bonuses and other employee benefits that workers have received from John Lewis.
"Despite this, Waitrose and John Lewis wish to push on with the cost cutting, so staff will either take redundancy or will be doing the same work but for substantially lower overall pay, terms and conditions.
"Not surprisingly staff are deeply unhappy about the prospect of moving to CBRE and some face losing thousands of pounds a year through the loss of bonuses they have come to expect over many years of service.
"Many members tell us how John Lewis used to be a great company to work for, but that now their pay, terms and conditions, health and safety, and respect for the workforce is being steadily degraded. Staff no longer feel valued by John Lewis and Waitrose, and the company branding of being a ‘co-operative’ and workers being ‘partners’ are fast becoming a bad joke for many.
"GMB will be working with the maintenance staff across the country to ensure that they have some support through the transition and to represent them as future CBRE employees.
"In the long term, we want John Lewis to return to its more ethical roots and bring those staff back in-house.
"GMB also has reason to believe that the transport, drivers and logistics employees may be the next ‘partners’ that the Directors wish to ‘divorce’ and exclude from John Lewis and Waitrose, and we will be looking to make the strongest case for their rights and terms to be protected, and jobs to be kept in house."
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
1] CBRE is an US owned real estate company based in Los Angeles. It’s revenue is $14 billion and in the UK it is involved in property development and facilities management across the public and private sectors.
