‘Fire and rehire’ should be banned, say three-quarters of UK public | Employment law

Firing workers solely to rehire them on worse pay and employment phrases should be outlawed, in response to new polling suggesting the public backs a authorized ban on the apply.

With union calls for for ministers to take motion towards “hearth and rehire” within the forthcoming Queen’s speech, a Survation ballot for the GMB union discovered that 76% of these requested stated that it should be towards the law. The determine included 71% of Conservative voters. Two-thirds of these polled (67%) recommended that they might be much less doubtless to purchase items or providers from an organization that used hearth and rehire.

The calls for for motion come after lots of of British Fuel engineers, who set up and restore boilers and heating programs, had been sacked final month after refusing to enroll to new phrases and situations that left them with a pay minimize and longer hours.

The engineers got two weeks to vary their minds and signal new offers, which included longer hours, along with shifts over weekends and financial institution holidays. Whereas some signed on the final minute, lots of had been left and not using a job.

Whereas the “hearth and rehire” scheme is authorized, it has provoked fury from workers and additionally led to anger in Westminster. Boris Johnson has referred to as the apply “unacceptable”, however ministers have additionally insisted that corporations in monetary problem should have the pliability to supply new phrases. An Observer evaluation of firms accused of deploying the tactic this 12 months discovered that 9 of the 13 non-public employers managed to keep up wholesome revenue margins.

The GMB union is now calling for a ban on the apply to be included within the much-delayed employment invoice, to be introduced within the Queen’s Speech. Warren Kenny, GMB performing basic secretary, stated: “Fireplace and rehire is a unclean, bullying tactic utilized by unscrupulous bosses. It has no place within the trendy world of work – and the public is aware of it.

“We’ve been ready because the authorities bought elected in 2019 for ministers to carry ahead their promised employment invoice, which they stated would make the UK the most effective place on this planet to work. Sufficient is sufficient.”

The proprietor of British Fuel, Centrica, had reported its weakest earnings on report earlier this 12 months. It stated on the time of the fireplace and rehire coverage: “Whereas change is troublesome, reversing our decline – which has seen us lose over 3 million clients, minimize over 15,000 jobs and seen earnings halved over the past 10 years –is critical.”