SSE Promise To Engineers Turns To Dust - 215 Engineers To Be Made Redundant

18th May 2020

OVO ENERGY TO MAKE 215 ENGINEERS REDUNDANT.

Promises were made that the sale of SSE's retail business to OVO would not lead to a single job loss says GMB

GMB, the Energy Union, has slammed OVO Energy over its intention to close their home services section.

The energy giant is set to close its in-house Home Services business, making all staff redundant by the end of year, backtracking on promises made last autumn that there would be no job losses made when they took over from SSE.

The move will see 215 gas and electrical engineers made redundant by the end of the year, the bulk of which are based in Scotland and Southern England.

The engineers, who respond to emergency call outs as well as fit and service boilers are being sacked despite the work still being there.

GMB has called the move as a ‘betrayal' after assurances to the public that no jobs would be lost. Report in the Daily Record

SSE/OVO intends to replace the loyal engineers, who have thousands of years of service between them, with self-employed contractors, in a move that the union has dubbed wanting services "on the cheap"

Justin Bowden, GMB National Secretary said:"This is a betrayal of more than 200 loyal engineers with thousands of years of combined service to the SSE/OVO brands.

"Just a few months ago, promises were made to workers and politicians alike that the sale of SSE's retail business to OVO would not lead to a single job loss.

"The fact that after sacking the workforce OVO would like all Gas and Electrical Engineers to ‘offer their services' back - but on a self-employed basis - tells you that the work is still there, but OVO wants it on the cheap."