Strike at SPS Technologies

That this House notes that staff at aerospace parts firm SPS Technologies in Leicester are taking strike action against management proposals to dismiss and re-engage employees on inferior contracts, a practice commonly known as “fire and rehire”; further notes that SPS made 200 members of staff at its Barkby Road site redundant last summer instead of furloughing them, and that the imposed changes will see the salaries of the remaining 280 workers cut by between £2,500 and £3,000 and result in reductions to overtime pay, sick pay, paid breaks, shift premiums and other terms and conditions; believes that this is an appalling way for SPS to treat its committed staff, who have worked throughout the pandemic to keep the company operational; calls on SPS to take the shameful threat of “fire and rehire” off the table and start negotiating with Unite the union in good faith to secure a long-term future for the company and its workforce; and further calls on the Government to introduce legislation outlawing this abusive employment practice as a matter of urgency.