A row has broken out between workers and fire-door manufacturer Knowles

Around 100 workers at a Birmingham-based manufacturer have been “threatened with the sack” if they refuse to move to a five-day week, a union has claimed.

The GMB claimed fire-door manufacturer Knowles, part of Sentry Doors, had tried to “slash workers’ terms and conditions while it’s still legal” in a process known as ‘fire and rehire’.

It claimed staff had been “given just days to accept a new contract” which would see workers move from four-day weeks to five at the Moor Lane Trading Estate factory in Witton.

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Chris Hoofe, GMB organiser, said fire and rehire “belongs on the scrap heap of history” and claimed his members were “furious” after being left with “no option” but to “swallow worse T&Cs or face the sack”.

He claimed the firm was “trying to sneak through firing an rehiring before the government makes it illegal”. The company said the union’s claims ‘do not accurately reflect the situation’

“The previous owner of the business put together a proposal to compress the working week into four days several years ago,” Mr Hoofe said.

“This has been in place since then and the workforce enjoy the benefit of a three-day weekend. In a letter issued to employees, the company stated that an option open to the employer was ‘to give notice to terminate employee’s current contracts and offer re-engagement new contracts that incorporate the proposed changes’.

“The reasons for reverting back to a five-day week directly contradicts the argument put forward by the previous owner to compress the working week, leaving employees confused by the current proposal.”

Sentry told BirminghamLive it had been following a consultation process “correctly” but admitted the process could appear “rigid” and the formality of language can appear “intimidating” to staff.

Explaining the ongoing dispute, a company spokesperson said: “Sentry is midway through the process of consulting its production team on a proposal to return to working a five-day week, from the compressed four-day work week it implemented during the pandemic period.

“Sentry’s customers operate a five-day working week and need the company to meet their requirements across the same time-frame.

“Currently, Sentry cannot manufacture and deliver its Birmingham-manufactured products across their customers’ working week – which puts it at a competitive disadvantage.

“Sentry’s Doncaster team have been working five days since the end of the pandemic so this proposal would bring consistency across all of its operations.

“When a change of this nature is proposed, there is a specific statutory process the company has to follow to notify and brief its employees on the proposed changes.

“Sentry is following the required statutory notification, and consultation process, correctly but recognises the process can appear rigid and the formality of the language can sound intimidating. While it regrets this, it is legally bound by the statutory process.”

Sentry said the firm’s intention was to find a way forward that “works for all parties” to secure the future prosperity of the business.

The firm said it would not be making any further comment during the consultation process.