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25
Jan 2021
British Gas engineers in Harrogate strike over pay and conditions
Six members of the GMB union held flags and banners by the Prince of Wales Roundabout today as part of their eighth day of industrial action against proposed new terms.
Six British Gas engineers from Harrogate have been on strike today over pay and working conditions.
The members of the GMB union held flags and banners by the Prince of Wales roundabout.
It was their eighth day of industrial action this winter. Further strikes are planned this month and February.
They claim the Centrica-owned company is asking employees to sign new contracts before March 31 on unfavourable terms.
About 20 local engineers employed in gas service and repair, smart metering, installations, electrical and white goods are affected.
One of the strikers, Jonathan Barker, told the Stray Ferret that thousands of British Gas employees across the country were taking similar action today.
He said:
"We're just normal blokes who want to earn a bit of money and have a normal life.
"We don't want to be on strike in winter, it's our busiest time but we've been forced into it."
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A British Gas spokesperson said:
"We're operating in an incredibly competitive market and British Gas has lost too many jobs and too many customers over recent years. Our business needs to change to survive and protect 20,000 jobs.
"We know change is difficult but we have offered a fair deal that has been negotiated over 300 hours with unions - we're not cutting base pay and pensions are protected.
"Eighty-three percent of our employees have already agreed to the new terms and we believe the vast majority of our workforce understand that the company needs to change."
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