Centrica Share Discussion Threads

[maywillow] 09/1/2021 17:14

The British Gas Strike Shows Why We Need to Renationalise Our Utilities

By
Cat Hobbs

The privatisation of British Gas has led to attacks on workers' rights and a bad deal for consumers – essential services like energy supply should be owned and run in the public interest, not for corporate profit.
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This week, British Gas workers took the brave and bold decision to go on strike. It is the first national gas strike in a decade, and comes as Centrica – British Gas’ owner – seeks to implement a ‘fire and rehire’ scheme through which workers would see diminished pay and conditions.

The actions of Centrica are undoubtedly an example of a company acting without even a modicum of respect for workers’ rights or common decency. But they aren’t the deeds of a bad apple. They aren’t a glitch in the system. They aren’t an anomaly. Rather, they are the direct product of the economic policy that made British Gas a subsidiary of Centrica in the first place.

Private companies running utilities don’t do so out of the goodness of their hearts. Their motive has always been and always will be the maximisation of profit extraction. Central to any profit-driven, privately-run utility’s business model, therefore, is cost reduction. For a supply and service company like British Gas, that means slashing the pay, conditions and benefits of their workforce to squeeze as much cash out the system as possible. Money in the pockets of workers is money that could be in the pockets of shareholders.

The regulation of the sector encourages companies to drive down labour costs as the only way of increasing their appeal to customers. A private company can’t deliver a world-class public service and ensure that workers are fairly treated and adequately remunerated at the same time as funnelling cash to money grabbing shareholders. That’s why British Gas workers are forced into taking strike action, it’s why our country is plagued by fuel poverty and it’s why water companies release raw sewage into our rivers rather than invest in the infrastructure needed to look after our environment properly.

There is an alternative to this. It starts with rethinking how utilities like energy, water, and broadband – as vital public services – are delivered. The privatised model can’t be reformed. It must be completely overhauled and torn out at its roots. In its place, we need our utilities to be run by and for the public, so bills can be made affordable, we can invest rapidly in decarbonisation and workers can be both treated well and given a role in decision making.

To deliver that, we need to create a model of democratic public ownership, with meaningful mechanisms through which workers, the public and civil society can steer the running of our utilities, alongside technical and academic experts. Staff who work day to day on these services understand how to improve them. The public and civil society understand the challenges facing service users and communities as well as the needs of the wider public and the planet. They should therefore be central to the oversight and direction of crucial services like our energy.

Such a model would see the end of workers being treated as disposable, and our services being treated like cash cows. It would put people at the heart of our utilities, rather than profit. And it would be a major departure from the status quo.

But we deserve nothing less. We work for our public services. We use them. We pay for them. We should own them.

[professor_cleverinvestor] 09/1/2021 16:52

Pls do Kemche

[professor_kemche] 09/1/2021 16:30

Saga will be £5 soon. Mark my words.

[cleverinvester] 09/1/2021 16:05

Have a look over on SAGA .There is a little intimidation campaign going on with a few sore investors .With regards CNA I believe 60p is achievable here in the very short term before a push to 80pGLA

[cleverinvester] 09/1/2021 16:00

For goodness sake , Grow up your pathetic.In to the filter bin you go.

[adrian j boris] 09/1/2021 14:59

4 goodness sake leave it out and speak centrica

obviously its a cry for attention

the more you make him or she the centre of attention, the happier they will be

filter or ignore but do not respond


you too then brcome a disruptor thus aiding him or her

damn it i too have disrupted a great thread

[antonagis] 09/1/2021 14:49

Great to hear that this pathetic individual ‘CLEVERINVESTER’ is being ridiculed justifiably by all. Look at what he’s been doing on The SAGA forum. Clearly they got it spot on calling him a SHORTER. Classic example. As for the the comments by Norma, well spot on as well. Well done to all for exposing this childlike individual.

[adrian j boris] 09/1/2021 14:41

LOL

You will see theres no escaping the disruptors

this was no doubt the reason this thread was set up, they had already destroyed the other thread

wendsworth
9 Jan '21 - 14:30 - 1770 of 1770
0 0 0
Switched to other centrica BB.

[wendsworth] 09/1/2021 14:30

Switched to other centrica BB.

[norma_stitts] 09/1/2021 13:57

There you go people, you can’t claim I’ve not tried...

Trying to get through to them is like arguing with a child as they’ve not developed full cognitive function yet. If you call them messy the child calls you messy. If you call them naughty, they call you naughty. Repeat ad infinitum.

My 3 year old has a better grasp of reality than that individual ever will and they are only in their formative years.

Cleverinvester9 Jan '21 - 13:49 - 1767 of 1769 (Filtered)

0 0 0

[cleverinvester] 09/1/2021 13:49

Norma: Honestly your trying to justify your behaviour based on the fact someone has lost money .That's capitalism, Face up to it and move on.I really think using the female card to get your point across is a bit sad. You loose a debate so you pull out the female card .(pathetic)I hope you get some help.Wish you all the best CLEVERINVESTER

[ariane] 09/1/2021 13:29

Doncaster British Gas workers join nationwide five day strike over new contracts
British Gas workers in Doncaster have joined a nationwide five day strike in a dispute over new contracts.

By Darren Burke
Friday, 8th January 2021, 7:19 am







Thousands of staff walked out across the country yesterday in response to an attempt by the firm to push through pay cuts by threatening to fire workers, union GMB said.

It accused Centrica owner British Gas of provoking the strike.

Workers in Doncaster gathered near to the Tesco Extra store at Balby where British Gas uses lockers to store and deliver parts for workers.

Doncaster British Gas workers have joined a nationwide strike.

Justin Bowden, GMB national secretary, said: "GMB members from Land's End to John O'Groats have stayed home, stayed safe and supported the first national gas strike in a decade.

"The months and months of fire and rehire pay cut threats from British Gas CEO Chris O'Shea have provoked thousands and thousands of GMB engineers and call centre staff to strike, the only option left to them by a business that made £901m operating profit yet still plans to sack them because they won't accept the scale of cuts it demands," he added.

A Centrica spokesman said: "We've done everything we can with the GMB to avoid industrial action.

"While we've made great progress with our other unions, sadly the GMB leadership seems intent on causing disruption to customers during the coldest weekend of the year, amid a global health crisis and in the middle of a national lockdown," she said.

"We have strong contingency plans in place to ensure we will still be there for customers who really need us."

Almost 90% of GMB members voted for industrial action in a ballot of 9,000 members last month in response to an attempt by Centrica to cut some salaries by up to 10%, the union said.

In total, more than 7,500 staff could walk out, although Centrica said GMB had committed to ensure emergency callouts were not affected, adding that it also had contractors that it could call upon.

In June, Centrica said it planned to to cut around 5,000 jobs to "arrest the decline" of the company.

Commenting on the strike, Centrica said 83% of workers had already accepted its new terms and conditions, which it said protected base pay and pensions.

[ariane] 09/1/2021 13:25

norma

please ignore him if only the our sakes

no wonder GGL SUGGESTED to filter him and if you carry on your rantings you might well be nrxt on his list

in the meantime calm down and enjoy your weekend

above all do be careful

[sarkasm] 09/1/2021 13:18

Cleverinvester
9 Jan '21 - 12:49 - 1762 of 1762

Thats enough now, just stick to centrica theres a good boy

[cleverinvester] 09/1/2021 12:49

Norma : You Decided to defend someone who was on here slating CNA here and on other boards , Aspers He called CNA a dog , he said we would loose our money and he was investing in better stocks .He said he lost 180k in CNA , Clearly he had taken out a short on CNA.And you decided to defend him.do you know what side your bread is buttered?I do.

[luderitz] 09/1/2021 12:35

Here here Sark!

[sarkasm] 09/1/2021 12:29

PLEASE just stick to energy and centrica posts

and give us a rest

[norma_stitts] 09/1/2021 12:26

I decided to defend someone that was being subjected to a constant stream of bullying and harassment, from yourself and your cronies, yes. That’s correct as I was sick of you trashing this board, as is virtually every poster. I have no idea if they are a shorter and nor do you. Their posts during that time period state they bought shares. That’s not shorting. Making things up to suit your agenda isn’t a good look. Not that I agree with it but shorting is perfectly legal and above board. Harassment is a criminal offence and any person with an ounce of integrity finds the harassment of Women, as you have subjected someone to on this board, as totally abhorrent.

Again, as many people have highlighted they feel you use numerous logins. I am not defending last nights antics, the exact opposite as I have called them childish and selfish. You were involved in those posts, not me.

Your posts are nothing but transparent lies and poor attempts at manipulation. You have more faces than a town-hall clock.

How you could try to use last nights posts in an argument against me shows your complete lack of credibility and intelligence as you were the protagonist and perpetrator and I was not even involved. I am simply highlighting your hypocrisy and duplicitous nature. I saw the posts occurring at the time and chose not to post, I hoped someone else would be the flagbearer and protector of this board and thought I’d give someone else the opportunity to get it through to your ignorant self about the error of your ways.

For the love of God, GROW UP!

[cleverinvester] 09/1/2021 12:15

Norma: You decided to defend a known shorter to CNA a few weeks ago .ASPERS That's your choice, How you can defend yesterday's disgraceful carry on with people using multiple accounts.It's says alot about you.