Kentish Express Ashford & District
Gas workers stage Rec protest
Gas engineers have protested contract changes at Tenerden Recreation Ground.
Signs and banners were in place over the playing field last week by British Gas workers who have joined a nationwide strike after amendments were made to their contracts.
Earlier this month, a number of British Gas workers also created a picket line on the Orbital Park roundabout next to Ashford’s Orbital Park.
The strike, partly organised by union GMB, is in opposition to new terms and conditions that employees had to agree to in December.
Employees say the new terms remove or reduce a number of benefits.
But a British Gas spokesman said: “Only 52% of the eligible GMB membership has voted to support strike action this is a very weak mandate - it is clear the GMB leadership does not have popular support across their membership for this course of action.
“More than 83% of our employees have accepted our employee changes to terms and conditions, including the majority of engineers, but a minority continue to refuse our reasonable asks to work an extra three hours per week (on top of 37 hours) in line with the rest of their colleagues, and to start their working day in the customers home, rather than in their own home.
“While we ve made great progress with our other unions, sadly the GMB leadership seems intent on causing disruption to customers.”