Unite And Saccone & Speed Clash Over Treatment Of Workers
A row has erupted between Unite the union and Saccone & Speed over the company’s treatment of its employees. Unite claims that the company plans to make some workers redundant and has adopted an “intimidatory approach” to its employees and has urged Saccone & Speed to switch to a “more supportive approach.” For its part, Saccone & Speed says it rejects the “unsubstantiated and vague slurs” contained in the union’s statement adding that it takes its responsibilities towards its employees “seriously and respectfully and has a reputation for fair dealing.”
Unite issued a statement yesterday highlighted what it describes as “rising tensions” with Saccone & Speed in the light of a reported fresh number of redundancies, an issue that the union says is the latest in a series of industrial relations issues arising with the employer since the summer. Unite says that members resisted attempts by the employer to impose temporary cuts in pay in the summer months but that, since then, the industrial relations landscape at Saccone & Speed had “deteriorated” with “redundancies, disciplinaries and a lack of respect for the workforce, which is causing considerable unrest.”
Sam Hennessy, Regional Officer for Unite Gibraltar said: “The union is appalled at the stance to industrial and employee relations that Saccone & Speed have taken since the issue around proposed pay cuts for the workforce in the summer was successfully resolved. The membership perceive that the employer have adopted an unsympathetic and intimidatory approach to their employees, resulting in a punitive approach to conduct and performance, as well as a programme of redundancies.
“Frontline private sector workers such as those at Saccone & Speed have worked throughout the pandemic and have been pivotal in keeping bars, restaurants and shops stocked, operating and able to maintain economic activity. At this time these jobs need to be supported and protected, not attacked.
“We are calling for an immediate cultural change at the company and a halt to the punitive activities of the employer, shifting to a more supportive approach that properly recognises the crucial contribution of loyal staff. The union are open to constructive dialogue with Saccone & Speed on these issues, but Unite will consider all and any further action in support of our members”.
In response to these claims, the Saccone and Speed Group said it “firmly rejects” what it calls the “unsubstantiated and vague slurs” contained in the press release issued by Unite.
A spokesperson argued the Saccone and Speed Group has always taken its responsibilities towards its employees “seriously and respectfully and has a reputation for fair dealing in keeping with established practices.”
The statement continued: “Like every other business we are having to cope with the extraordinary difficulties created by the pandemic and the withdrawal of the UK from the European Union. As is well known our sector which includes supplies to hotels, bars and restaurants has dried up as have sales to retail shops serving the tourist trade which is now non-existent because of successive lockdowns in Gibraltar, Spain and the UK.
“At this difficult time, we had expected Unite to cooperate in achieving the best result possible for all parties.
“We call upon the persons responsible for the scurrilous Unite press release to withdraw it and apologise to our staff for neglecting to act in a responsible manner which is what the staff side are entitled to expect from their Union representatives.
“It is intolerable that the press release should have accused us of lacking sympathy and of intimidating and punishing our staff without providing particulars. If there had been any basis for these vague slurs they should have been properly articulated. The fact is there is no such basis.
“The Company does not carry out disciplinaries unless there is a reason to do so arising from an employee acting in an improper manner or breaching their employment terms, two specific instances are where employees have been disrespectful towards customers or continuously failing to attend work without any reasonable reason. Unite have always been present in these instances to represent their members.
“There have been substantial redundancies in Gibraltar during the pandemic in the legal and financial services sector and Unite have not been heard, yet when the Company is considering 3 to 4 redundancies, that Unite have chosen to act in this manner.
“We are in the process of assessing our activities in full consultation with employees. On Tuesday 19th January 2021 a ballot was taken among the employees who agreed with our position that the Company could not offer a 3% pay increase that Unite were demanding and voted accordingly by substantial majority. Only 18% of the workforce supported Unite’s position. Unite have also failed to respect the wishes of employees who are not Unite members and who represent 50% of the workforce. We were surprised that the union wanted a meeting of members to be convened in breach of the Civil Contingencies legislation and it was only after the Company consulted the authorities that they finally accepted our proposal as to a safe method of conducting the ballot. This shows without any doubt that if anyone is guilty of lack of consideration towards the members it is the union.
“We call upon Unite the Union to desist from this negative approach and cooperate with us in ensuring that the established ACAS guidelines which we have been following throughout are followed by them. We have always had a very good relationship with Unite and its predecessor unions and the relationship has only soured recently.”
