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🇬🇧 United Kingdom /Economy & Trade

City & Guilds Faces Legal and Industrial Action Over Planned Job Cuts

From The Guardian · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • City & Guilds faces potential legal and industrial action from the Unite union over plans to cut approximately 400 jobs in the UK.
  • Unite alleges the company has been dishonest and unlawfully withheld information during consultations, while also hiring new staff.
  • The union claims the job cuts are part of a larger plan by owner PeopleCert to reduce its UK workforce by one-third, despite PeopleCert's earlier statement denying compulsory redundancies.

City & Guilds is confronting significant opposition, including potential legal and industrial action, from the Unite union concerning its plans to eliminate around 400 jobs in the UK.

Unite officials accuse the training and qualifications body's owner, PeopleCert, of dishonesty and of unlawfully withholding crucial information during redundancy consultations. The union also points to the company advertising for new recruits while staff at risk of losing their jobs should have priority.

This dispute is the latest in a series of challenges for City & Guilds, which was acquired by PeopleCert last autumn. The controversial sale prompted a statutory inquiry by the Charity Commission and an internal investigation by PeopleCert. These investigations are reportedly examining revelations about substantial bonuses and salary increases received by two City & Guilds executives post-sale.

Peter Storey, Unite regional officer, stated, "PeopleCert has been dishonest [about its staffing plans] from the moment it took over City & Guilds." He warned that the dispute would escalate without significant concessions from the company. Unite anticipates that the proposed 75 redundancies are merely the first phase, with PeopleCert ultimately aiming to cut about a third of its 1,300-strong UK workforce. This contradicts PeopleCert's January statement that "There are no plans for compulsory redundancies in the UK."

Concerns are mounting that key decisions regarding job cuts were predetermined. Unite's letter to PeopleCert highlighted the alignment between an investor presentation outlining workforce reduction plans and the current proposals. PeopleCert, however, stated that a subsequent review identified the possibility of 75 compulsory job cuts, a result of organizational restructuring.

PeopleCert has been dishonest [about its staffing plans] from the moment it took over City & Guilds. Without significant movement from the company, this dispute will continue to escalate, including through potential legal and industrial action.

— Peter StoreyUnite regional officer on the company's alleged dishonesty and the escalating dispute.
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Originally published by The Guardian in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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