Workers from the UK's largest gas supplies company are threatening to strike over an 'inadequate pay rise'. Cadent Gas maintains and supplies gas to homes and businesses across Nottinghamshire and raked in an operating profit of almost £1bn.
The GMB Union, which is representing more than 2,000 Cadent workers, says staff are voting on strike action today (Friday, March 25). This means a strike may happen as early as April 22 if workers vote to walk out.
It is not yet known if gas supplies may be interrupted as a result. GMB says the ballot comes after workers rejected a below inflation pay increase of 2% for 2021 and 4% from July 22. It says because inflation is running at 8.2%, the deal being offered by the company amounts to a "massive real-terms pay cut". It comes as Cadent Gas made an operating profit of £901 million in 2021, while its chief executive Steve Fraser was paid £1.4 million in 2020/21.
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Gary Carter, GMB's national officer, said: "Cadent needs to wake up to the cost of living crisis in this country. Workers’ bills are going up and that means their wage needs to go up too.
“We face the biggest drop in living standard for 50 years – since the time of rationing. Cadent can afford to protect workers from this – they made £900 million last year.
“GMB urges them to do the right thing, treat workers right and avert industrial action.”
