STAFF at Redditch’s B&Q store say they have been forced to sign new contracts that will effectively cut their wages – or they will lose their jobs.
The contracts were pushed through on March 31, the day before the introduction of the new National Living Wage of £7.20 per hour.
The company’s minimum salary for all staff will rise to £7.66, however the new contracts will see the removal of time and a half pay for working Sunday, double time for working bank holidays (reduced to 1.5) and a summer and winter bonus equating to six per cent of annual salary.
Staff say that as a result, they could lose up to £1,000 off their salary.
“We were all called to a meeting and the manager said if we did not sign the new contracts then they would give us a week to think about it and if we still refused then we would be sacked,” said ‘John’ one of the workers.
“They have given us the extra money, the £7.66 an hour, and then B&Q have taken it and more back off us. We were told sign or get sacked – you can’t go around threatening staff like that.”
Any staff that would be left worse off by the changes would get one year’s compensation equivalent to any loss.
Redditch borough councillor Joe Baker (Lab, Greenlands) said: “It’s an utter outrage – the workforce have been bullied into signing these contracts – and if they didn’t sign they’d be in breach of their existing contract – it’s disgusting. The MP or the Government should be doing something about this.
“It’s always the ordinary working people, people who are struggling to get by who pay the price,” he added.
A B&Q spokesperson said: “We understand and are sorry that a small number of our colleagues feel upset.
“From April 1, 2016 our minimum rate is £7.66 per hour (£15,524.48 pa) which is 46p more than the National Living Wage of £7.20 per hour. This is our minimum rate for all employees, regardless of age. Additionally, we are paying compensation equivalent to 12 months’ worth of any reduction in overall pay.
“Because we changed the terms and conditions of people’s employment they did need to have a new contract and we followed a standard process to put this in place.”
Last year Kingfisher, owner of B&Q, made profits of £512 million.
