Greenwich firm apologises after telling employees by text they wouldn’t be paid due to the coronavirus outbreak

By Lachlan Leeming, Local Democracy Reporter

A firm has apologised after telling its employees via text message they wouldn’t be paid due to the coronavirus outbreak, in a move slammed as appalling by their union.

Gateway, an employment agency arm of the Greenwich council-owned and managed GS Plus, sent a text message to its employees last week stating plummeting demand during lockdown would mean they would get no work.

The agency supplies hundreds of workers both within Greenwich and the surrounding areas, working across sectors like catering and cleaning.

Trade union Unite says up to 100 agency workers on zero-hour contracts – including passenger transport staff who take children of key workers to school – were informed by text they wouldn’t be paid.

Unite regional officer Onay Kasab said Gateway had “behaved appallingly to their workforces at a time of national emergency when we should all be pulling together”.

He added: “What is even worse, they did not even wait to see how they could have benefited from the employment packages that Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced to keep people in jobs, whether they are full-time or self-employed.”

The union said those impacted included employees who had worked regular hours for years, and demanded their immediate reinstatement.

Greenwich council declined to comment and pointed towards a statement produced by head of Gateway Kim Watson, in which the boss conceded the organisation “should have been more sensitive” in its actions.

She said: “We recognise that this is a difficult time for many and we acknowledge our communication to staff on this occasion should have been more sensitive.

“We have since apologised to our agency staff who received the text message and sent a letter explaining that they will be paid the normal arrangements.”

She added Gateway was now considering how the government’s business support package could be used to help employees there.

She said: “A huge thank-you to our staff for the highly-valued work they undertake on behalf of Gateway. I’d like to reassure all of our agency staff we will be keeping them up-to-date of any developments – we are currently in discussions with our clients and are exploring the government financial initiative with the view to ensure we support agency staff.”