M&S consulting on new contracts
Rose plan would focus manpower on key sales periods
Marks & Spencer is consulting with employee representatives over plans for new contracts which would allow it to deploy more store staff at peak sales periods.
The high street retailer has moved to play down a newpaper report which implied the changes were being bulldozed through. The [i]Mail on Sunday[/i] said chief executive Stuart Rose plans to “rip up” the contracts of the 66,000 M&S shop floor staff.
Most staff would be better off under the proposed new contracts, according to M&S, but would be required to work more flexible hours. This would enable M&S to ensure that stores are fully staffed at peak times such as weekends.
M&S has traditionally offered some of the best employee terms in the UK retail sector. However, some long-standing staff currently have contracts which do not require them to work at weekends, leaving some stores manned by less experienced staff at their busiest sales periods.
An M&S spokeswoman told the [i]Press Association [/i]news agency that any changes would follow consultations with the M&S National Business Involvement group, which provides a forum for all staff.
She said: “We are not scrapping or ripping up any contracts. We are in consultation with the involvement group which we feel is the best way for staff to be represented.”
M&S does not recognise shop workers’ union Usdaw. However, many of its employees are members and the union hopes to open talks with the retailer about both the proposed changes.
[img r]m&sstuartrose3.jpg[/img]Rose told the [i]Mail [/i]that he inherited 429 different contracts for staff in when he took over the company last year. He said: “I have nothing but praise for my staff, who have been at the front line of all the finger-wagging complaints from the public during all our troubles.
‘There is overwhelming support among them to make this company great again. Morale among staff is key if we are to get people to spend money.”
