Dear Editor,
The introduction of the Tory living wage was designed to boost the pay packets of the working poor. This week, I’ve spoken to a number of employees working at Gestamp Tallents, on ongoing temporary contracts employed by Mtrec recruitment agency.
A number of employees informed me that they have been given new contracts to sign on the implementation of the living wage. One worker explained to me how, in addition to their basic pay, they are paid a shift allowance of £2 an hour for night shift and £1 and hour for afternoon shift.
The increase of their basic pay to the living wage would see these workers significantly better off. However, alongside the raise of the basic wage, the night shift allowance has dropped from £2 to 80 pence, and the afternoon shift allowance dropped from £1 to 40 pence. One worker calculated that his family would be £5.40 a week better off.
The ongoing temporary workers are not unionised as the permanent workers are, and therefore have no recourse to address this injustice. And an individual refusing to sign the new contract will simply not continue to work there.
It is a disgrace that measures to lift the most poorest workers out of poverty see the benefits of such a policy absorbed by big business. It is uncertain whether Mtrec continues to be paid the shift allowances by Tallents at the previous rates.
Most likely, the reduced shift allowances, which are absorbed by the workers’ new basic pay, will be used as a measure to reduce the wage bill, a measure we’ll now see implemented across all our of local industry. This practise is a shameless blight on the living standards of local people by ruthless employers, it must be stopped.
Warren Saunders,
Editor: We contacted Mtrec for a statement and their response was “No Comment”.