Gas drivers lose jobs
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by Miles Brignall • British Gas has made the first move towards contracting out some of its inhouse transport. This will entail cutting drivers' jobs as part of a company-wide redundancy programme.
British Gas Retail has signed a £15m, five-year deal with TNT to provide warehousing and distribution of white goods and electrical appliances. The deal includes deliveries to BG's shops, installers and private customers in the South-West.
Managers of the former publicly owned firm, now split into five business units, were told in March that 25,000 redundancies must be achieved in the next two years.
The contract, due to start in the new year, will be run out of TNT's Reading warehouse and will use 22 demountable bodied drawbar outfits in British Gas livery. Seventy new TNT staff will work on the contract.
British Gas Retail says there is no particular significance in the move and any cuts in jobs are part of the restructuring process. The company denies that there are plans to go nationwide if the scheme is a success.
No one will be made redundant against their will and every effort will be made to find workers alternative employment, says BG.
• As predicted, this may spell the beginning of cut-backs in all BG's in-house transportation (CM 14-20 April). A spokesman for British Gas Service says that in the future central heating systems may be delivered direct to the customer by a third party.