GMB says Morrison women facing sack on Christmas Eve are victims of sex discrimination
Former Safeway, female employees working in the administration unit of Morrisons in South Shields who had been told by the company that they would lose their jobs on Christmas Eve were told last Friday (4th November) that they would be paid the statutory redundancy pay only.
This redundancy, announced in September 2005 was part of a wider re-organisation by Morrisons which included the proposal to shut three distribution depots with the loss of 2,500 jobs. Morrisons plan to re-locate 175 of the 225 administration jobs from South Shields to Bradford. The only part of the South Shields site that will remain open is the part that deals with payroll.
GMB had threatened to strike if the company did not enter into meaningful negotiations and come clean on their plans for mass sackings. After the threat of strike action the company did enter into a national agreement and agreed to pay enhanced redundancy to the depot workers who are losing their jobs in 2006. However, the company has point blank refused to recognize GMB as the union for the administration unit in South Shields and have refused to apply the national redundancy agreement terms there.
As a result of not being party to the redundancy agreement reached earlier this year for the Aylesford and Warrington Morrisons distribution depots the 175, mainly female, redundant workers at South Shields will receive only a third of the money that their male colleagues in the depots will receive.
Tom Brennan, GMB Northern Region Secretary said “The takeover of Safeway by Morrisons has been a disaster for former Safeway staff. As well as the large job losses that will result, Morrisons are planning to pay these women administration workers, who will lose their jobs on Christmas Eve, only one third the redundancy package they have already agreed to pay the male depot workers. “This sex discrimination is completely unacceptable to GMB. Strike action or litigation will follow if the company persists with this plan.”
