TheGMB trade
unionwill accuseMarks &
Spencerof systematically bugging its workers
when it takes the retailer to an industrial tribunal over
thesacking of whistleblower Tony
Goode.
See:
Marks & Spencer confirms 1,200 job losses
The union will say that
Eurosis, a company that
supplied microphones and other equipment to allow simultaneous
translation of statutory workplace negotiations to M&S,
installed a secret, illegal "special line" in the workers' meeting
room that allowed management to overhear their conversations.
Maria Ludkin, the GMB lawyer who represents M&S's GMB
members, saidthis information came from aEurosis employee. Ludkin
alleged that M&S had retained Eurosis for three yearsto bug the
discussions of worker representatives from the retailer's European
works council. These discussions were meant to be private but
company representative could listen to workers' discussions on pay
and other conditions. Eurosis no longer worked for M&S, she
said.
Ludkin said she had received notice today that M&S intended
to defend any action brought in connection with Goode's
dismissal.
A GMB spokesman said the union would invite Eurosis
representatives to give evidence at the tribunal.
"We aim to show that M&S had a culture of listening in
secretly to its workers. That is how they discovered Tony Goode,"
he said.
An M&S spokesman said, "We have investigated this. The
implication that we bugged a meeting is complete rubbish."
An M&S spokesman said she was unaware of any relationship
between Eurosis and the retailer, but would check. M&S
previously denied that it snooped on its workers.
M&S sacked Goode, who administered the retailer's customer
database, for revealing
management plans to cut redundancy payments. This morning The
Times reported that
M&S plans to sack 1,000 workers.
Commenting on the report, Ludkin said, "Marks & Spencer
dismissed reports that there would be redundancies when GMB members
and M&S whistleblower Tony Goode accused them of cutting the
redundancy pay in preparation for redundancies."
She said that GMB would take M&S to an industrial tribunal
if it tried to short-cut redundancy proceedings.
"If today's report is correct, M&S has to give 90 days'
notice for consultation. If it tries to treat each shop as a
separate workplace, and thereby give only 30 days' notice, GMB will
not hesitate to take employment tribunal cases for a 90-day
protective award, as we have done at JJB Sports."
No date has been set for the tribunal.
M&S will announce its latest trading results, which include
Christmas sales, tomorrow.