News of the cuts came just days after it emerged John Lewis was also slashing redundancy payments in half. The changes, first reported by the Telegraph, came into effect from February 1.
The reduction was debated by the partnership committee, a group of elected workers, before being introduced. However, it was not debated by the partnership council, which includes more workers.
John Lewis told staff that it had sought advice from lawyers who said decisions on redundancy changes could be approved without needing to consult the entire council.
However, it has sparked criticism over how the partnership handled the move.
GMB national officer Nadine Houghton claimed the partnership committee has been “asked to rubber-stamp the redundancy changes”.
She said staff were “supposed to be ‘partners’ rather than workers but they have not been consulted about these changes at all”, adding: “The more staff join GMB, the less chance managers will be able to get away with these sort of power moves in future.”
Ms Houghton added: “Our members at John Lewis Partnership are worried; they are frightened about their futures.”
A spokesman for John Lewis said: “Our partners are free to join a union. In fact, this is clearly set out in our constitution.
“As an employee-owned organisation, we operate in a more open manner to traditional businesses and provide many benefits of a union, without any cost.
“For example, we’ve over 3,000 elected representatives – across our partnership council and forums – who give all partners a voice in how the business is run. We also offer advice on employment matters, as well as financial, practical and emotional help for personal and work-related issues.”
Robert Johnson is a UK-based business writer specializing in finance and entrepreneurship. With an eye for market trends and a keen interest in the corporate world, he offers readers valuable insights into business developments.
