GMB Royal Wedding Challenge
Tuesday 8th February
2011
GMB REJECTS CPM GROUP
DIRECTORS CLAIM THAT FINANCIAL PRESSURES
ARE REASON FOR NOT GIVING STAFF
DAY OFF WITH PAY FOR ROYAL
WEDDING
GMB has a collective grievance
on Nick Gainford's desk and members see no financial reasons not to
give hard working staff day off for a special occasion that only
comes once in a generation
GMB has taken issue with cast stone
company CPM Group, with employees in Somerset, Yorkshire,
Staffordshire and Scotland, which has now cited financial pressures
as the reason for refusing to give staff the day off with pay for
the Royal Wedding. See last month press release from GMB on the
original reasons for refusing the day off.
Yesterday GMB announced that 400
employees of Interfloor in Rossendale Lancashire had also been
refused the day off with pay for the Royal Wedding.
GMB members at CMP Group have now
filed a collective grievance on the matter which is on the desk of
Nick Gainsford a director of CPM Group.
Yesterday Nick Gainsford the director
of CPM told national media that the group was still in recession.
He said that the winter blizzards caused the company to close early
for Christmas, but the workforce had still been paid in December.
He estimated that the bad weather wiped out 30% of 2010
profits.
"Times are very hard," he is
quoted as saying and added "and our priority is to protect the
jobs in our five factories."
Rachelle Wilkins, GMB Regional Officer
responding to Nick Gainsford said "CPM are working flat out
seven days a week. The company has taken on agency staff to cope
with the work and made some of them permanent. Overtime is being
worked prolifically at the moment. Most are working more than 45
hours per week.
The company is heading for its
peak period. No jobs are at risk. As for paying staff during the
bad weather CPM only did so after GMB insisted that they did
so.
GMB members have filed a
collective grievance which is on Nick Gainford's desk. Our members
will expect him to reverse this decision. There are no financial
reasons not to give hard working employees the day off for what is
a special occasion that only comes up once in a
generation"
End
Contact: For CPM Group
Rachelle Wilkins Organiser 07966 327 970 or landline 01482
218018; or Interfloor Rossendale contact Alana Armstrong 07740
804044 or 01772 555879
Notes to Editors
GMB press release of 20th January 2011
on pre cast company refusing time off for Royal Wedding
CPM GROUP LIMITED Precast
firm with workers in Somerset, Yorkshire, Staffordshire and
Scotland plan to work through Royal Wedding Day
CPM Group Managing Director, Mike
Stacey has announced to the workforce on that the Directors of CPM
Group have discussed this at great length and in view of the
current economic situation, coupled with the number of Statutory
Bank Holidays in April and May 2011, and the disruptive effect this
will cause to business, the decision has been taken that the
Company, will not be closed on 29 April 2011.
There will still be opportunity
for people to take a day from their holidays to enjoy the day if
they so wish, with their Line Managers approval, ensuring that the
business is unaffected.
CPM is a precast concrete business
and a market-leading manufacturer of concrete products with
extensive production facilities in Somerset, Staffordshire,
Yorkshire and Scotland. "Off-site" provides modern methods of
construction for many applications including modular retaining
walls, rainwater harvesting, greywater recycling, stormwater
attenuation and control, water treatment and manhole innovation See
Notes Editors for locations and contact details.
Rachelle Wilkins, GMB Organiser,
Midlands and East Coast Region, said;"GMB members consider
that this pathetic use of the current economic situation is nothing
more than a sham excuse! The Company are currently working
overtime and have recently employed agency staff due to an increase
in volume of work.
The real reason the
Company are trying to enforce this decision is because they have
been advised by an outside HR Advisory Service after they had
looked over the terms and conditions of employment that the Company
could refuse to apply this Special Bank Holiday".
This is a total and utter
abuse of the Working Time Directive and the Law surrounding Bank
Holidays.
I have spoken with Nick
Gainsford ( Director) and urged the Company to re-think their
somewhat uncharitable decision and afford GMB members the Special
Bank Holiday to celebrate the Day. I told him that GMB members hope
the decision was not cast in stone."
End
Contact Rachelle Wilkins Organiser
07966 327 970 or landline 01482 218018
Notes to Editors
Head Office Sales and
Works
CPM Group Ltd, Head Office Mells
Road, Mells, Nr Frome
Somerset, BA11 3PD
Tel: 01179 812791 Fax: 01179 814511
Scotland Sales and Works
CPM Group Ltd, 101 Main Street,
Newmains, Wishaw,
Lanarkshire, ML2 9BG
Tel: 01698 386922 Fax: 01698 387167
Leek Sales and Works
CPM Group Ltd, Barnfields,
Leek,
Staffordshire, ST13 5QG
Tel: 01538 380500 Fax: 01538 380510
Pollington Works
CPM Group Ltd, Pollington,
Goole,
East Riding of Yorkshire, DN14 0DU
Tel: 01405 860591 Fax: 01405 863606
Technical Offices
CPM Group Ltd, CPM House, Heath
Mill Road, Wombourne,
Wolverhampton, WV5 8AP
Tel: 01902 356220 Fax: 01902 356221