John Lewis is facing the threat of workers going on strike over fears of massive job losses
John Lewis boss Sharon White is facing the threat of workers going on strike over fears of massive job losses.
Staff have called for reassurance that jobs at the partnership, which owns John Lewis and Waitrose department stores, will be safe.
There are reports that the John Lewis Partnership (JLP) is planning to cut as many as 11,000 jobs. The company is considering reducing its 76,000 employees by at least 10 percent.
In a letter to White, the GMB union said it could vote for workers to walk out if White did not meet with them urgently. About 250 JLP employees are members of the union.
The union’s national officer Nadine Houghton wrote: ‘If workers don’t get the answers they think they deserve, they won’t hesitate to call on GMB to launch an employee vote.’
A bad sign: Staff have called for reassurance that jobs at the partnership, which owns John Lewis and Waitrose department stores, will be safe
A spokesperson for JLP said last night that the letter had been received and that they would respond ‘in due course’.
The letter says employees are “deeply concerned” that the recent cut in severance pay marked “the first step in a major round of job cuts.”
According to the GMB, this move was made with ‘little to no consultation’ with the workers’ organization known as the JLP Partnership Council.
An elected sub-committee of the council made the decision, it is understood.
John Lewis Partnership has been struggling for a number of years.
Last month, White told employees there would be “pretty bold changes” as the company looks to return to profit this year.