Cuts to jobs, pay and conditions

The majority of respondents (74%) did not feel that their employer was directly using environment/climate change issues to cut pay, worsen conditions or introduce redundancies. Only 4% believed they were but 23% were unsure. These responses have not changed since the 2009 survey.

However, employers were taking so-called green initiatives without consulting staff or their union, leading to predictable problems. Where there was concern it covered a wide range of areas. A UNISON rep at a local council said there were complaints when the employer introduced parking charges on the grounds that this would encourage people to take the bus. Another rep similarly complains of the removal of parking rights for low paid workers without providing alternative arrangements in the form of buses. A Prospect rep in central government complained that reduced heating has made many staff uncomfortably cold.

A PCS rep at the Department for Work and Pensions said reducing lighting levels under the auspices of carbon footprint reduction, has left computer users struggling for sufficient light to work.

PCS reps employed by a charity report how an office move to a more environmentally friendly building has had a negative impact on staff who received poor relocation settlements. Similarly a union rep in central government said that current restructuring includes moving whole departments to different buildings and substantially reducing personal space.

A UCU rep in Manchester says that staff have to take leave at certain times so they can close the building to save fuel. A UNISON rep at an energy supplier headquartered in Germany feared that the consequences of a German government decision to phase out nuclear power would mean bad news on the pay front.