Yesterday, we decided to visit Chester with my real motivation being the SPCK second-hand books. We’d been there once before, about 4 years ago kmaybe, and could have spent hours if not days searching around amongst the books. Alas, we arrived, only to see a scruffy note saying closed apart from Fridays and Saturdays!
I have obviously been oblivious to the goings on, but it seems that there has been numerous problems with the new ‘mismanagement’ resulting in staff in places being sacked by email if they didn’t re-apply for their jobs. A shame and a shambles for people to be treated in such a way, and certainly isn’t a position to be taking by anybody vaguely Christian really. So, unless somebody knows of a decent book shop with loads of second hand stuff, I can see me having to drive to the Wesley Owen in Leeds for my bargains! Please read the below for a precis of the situation.
Article comes from :
Tribunal on SPCK sackings
Aug 1 2008 by David Holmes, Chester Chronicle
SHOPWORKERS’ union Usdaw is taking four cases to an employment tribunal after staff were fired by e-mail from a Christian bookshop in Chester.
The workers, who have more than 100 years’ service between them at the SPCK shop in St Werburgh Street, are unhappy at the way they were treated.
The Chester shop had been closed but is now open again, but only on Fridays and Saturdays.
Chester is just one of several branches affected after the trading arm of Christian charity St Stephen the Great (SSG) was “placed into reorganisation” in the United States Bankruptcy Court.
A new company, ENC Management Company, has been set up to run the bookshops run by Mark and Phil Brewer, the same two Texan brothers who head SSG.
Usdaw has already submitted a number employment tribunal claims against the Brewers claiming they were seeking to impose a new contract on staff, drastically reducing their contractual rights. A further 11 claims are being finalised including four relating to the Chester store.
Usdaw spokesman Cherry Hamilton said: “We are currently finalising 11 remaining claims to submit. This will bring the number of claims up to 30.Š
“The President of the Employment Tribunals has ordered them all to be heard together in one tribunal in Bury St Edmunds, following a request from Usdaw. We await information on the date.”
Although the Brewer brothers have filed for bankruptcy in the US, Usdaw firmly believes these proceedings have no effect in the UK meaning the claims against the company can continue.
John Hannett, Usdaw general secretary, said: “It is clear that staff, many of whom have been long standing loyal workers, have been mistreated and many are understandably very upset and concerned.
“We are very concerned at a new company (ENC Management Company) being set up in these circumstances, while our members are losing their jobs.”
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Rgds
Matt Wardman