Plans to extend working hours to install smart meters while withdrawing the London allowance have led to members of the union Unite resolving to strike next week over a £6,000 a year “pay loss”.
The members include meter readers and fixers, office staff and managers in the supplier’s smart metering division.
Two previous strikes planned for August over the same issues were suspended to allow for talks, but these have now broken down.
EDF Energy is currently in talks with four unions over a number of proposed changes to operations within its metering division. Talks are continuing with the other three.
Unite regional officer Onay Kasab said: “We entered talks hopeful that we could avoid industrial action and are deeply disappointed by the company’s refusal to give concrete assurances on protecting current pay, conditions and hours.
“Our members cannot stand by and let previous agreements be torn up and their pay, terms and conditions eroded. Some members of staff face a £6,000-a-year drop in income while others face losing their job.
“Management need to stop dodging our members’ concerns and engage properly in meaningful talks.”
A statement by EDF Energy said it has made “significant changes” to the proposals put forward to workers. It added: “We believe that our current proposals are fair, competitive and consistent with the commitment to our customers to ensure that our costs are better controlled and more affordable.”
EDF Energy said it is looking to operate within a “wider working-day window” to meet customers’ needs and expectations, but that existing employees will not be asked to work hours outside of their contracts or increase their hours per week.
It said some financial allowances for employees are no longer available due to a change in working practices that led to the scrapping of night shift rotas.
Unite members have voted by a margin of 85 per cent for strike action and 92 per cent were in favour of industrial action short of a strike.
EDF Energy said: “We will ensure that any strike action has no impact on our customers.”