Leading trade union weighs into Spirit Group staff contracts row

Trade union Unite has condemned plans by Spirit Group to create a single set of terms and conditions for more than 600 of the pub operator's staff.

Currently Spirit staff - many of whom were employed by companies acquired by the operator in recent years - are retained under a variety of employment contracts.

As revealed recently on thepublican.com​ Spirit is seeking to create a 'one-size fits all' deal for staff, with changes to sick pay, day's off and other benefits, and one-off payments being offered to some managers to relinquish their existing deals.

Many employees have voiced fears that they will be worse off under the new proposals, a claim the operator denies.

Now Unite, the UK's largest trade union, has weighed into the row and branded Spirit's plans as "totally unacceptable".

In a statement the union said part of the overhaul includes slashing benefits for those on long-term sick from 12 months to just 13 weeks on full pay whilst management qualify for 52 weeks at full pay and 26 weeks at half pay.

"Whilst backing off from the original plans to increase manager's working week from five days to six it is clear that they are still being expected to work unacceptably long hours.

"They also plan to terminate maternity and paternity entitlements and instead will offer only the statutory minimum even though the number of managers likely to qualify for these benefits are minimal.

Jennie Formby, Unite's national secretary, said: "Unite has been meeting with the company on the back of the report that has gone out as many of their proposals are unacceptable.

"Unite has given its detailed response to the company on these and all other issues and has made it clear to them that we will do everything in our power to ensure we protect our members' hard-won conditions.

"Unite has seen its membership at Spirit Group significantly increase over recent weeks and will be making further representation over full recognition and collective bargaining rights."

A spokeswoman for Spirit rejected Unite's claims as "inaccurate and inflammatory".

"The process we are going through means the majority of our employees will benefit from improved terms and conditions, including areas such as sick pay and maternity rights.

"There were no paternity rights in the old contract, as this is a relatively new entitlement, so to suggest we are terminating maternity and paternity rights is inaccurate," she said, adding there was "no intention" to change the working week.

"We have been in formal consultation since April 15 and we have considered all the feedback we have received from the Sounding Board representatives and employees," she concluded.