Endless drive for profit hits staff says TUC

WORKERS ARE paying the price for a “continual drive” for profit, a union leader has warned after the loss of thousands of jobs since the start of the year.

Supermarkets Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Morrisons, as well as Marks & Spencer, B&Q, Vauxhall, Kimberly-Clark, Coca-Cola and Colmans Mustard are among firms making job-loss announcements or site closures in recent weeks.

The collapse of construction giant Carillion could lead to thousands of job cuts among workers and contractors, unions fear.

Tim Roache, the general secretary of the GMB union, said: “What links all of these companies is that workers are paying for the continual drive for profit above all else. Retail companies have been squeezing workforce costs – worse sick pay, almost no pension schemes left, being asked to work more for less – to simply maintain margins.

“The choices companies are making might make their balance sheets look better, but those actions aren’t without a detrimental impact on the lives and communities of their workforce.”

The TUC’s general secretary Frances O’Grady added: “It’s been a bleak January for many workers who’ve faced the sack. Too many big companies are treating their staff like disposable labour. Bosses forget that these are real people, not figures on a spreadsheet.

“All employers considering redundancies should sit down with unions and work out some better solutions to protect jobs and increase productivity.”