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GMB call on Edinburgh Woollen Mill to change stance by giving staff additional bank holiday for Queens Diamond Jubilee

7 February 2012

Not giving the additional day is a mean act towards their hard working and loyal staff particularly since they will be opening their shops to take advantage of the fact that everybody else will be enjoying an additional holiday that day says GMB

GMB, the union for clothing and garment workers, has learned that union members employed at Edinburgh Woollen Mill in Langholm, in the Scottish Borders, will not be offered an additional paid holiday for the Queens Diamond Jubilee on Tuesday June 5th 2012.

Edinburgh Woollen Mill has more than 5,000 employees at nearly 400 locations across the UK with about 700 of them at the company's Langholm HQ and the Kingmoor Park distribution centre.

GMB believes that none of the 5,000 staff will be in receipt of an additional days leave for the jubilee. Managers have advised members that they can take the day off using their existing holiday entitlement but that most of their employees will be at work being paid singe time for the day.

The Spring Bank Holiday has been moved to Monday 4th June and there is an additional Bank Holiday on Tuesday 5th June to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Many employers have already confirmed that they will give their staff this additional day's paid holiday and that staff working on that day will be paid premium rates and a day in lieu. Edinburgh Woollen Mill is the only employer to date that GMB is aware of that is refusing to do this.

Paul Kenny GMB General Secretary said “This is a mean act towards their hard working and loyal staff particularly since they will be opening their shops to take advantage of the fact that everybody else will be enjoying an additional holiday that day.

The least they can do is to give their staff an additional day of holiday and for those who work for them on that day they should get premium rates of pay for that day plus an additional day of holiday in lieu of that.”



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