Business

You’re betraying your Quaker roots: fury at Clarks’ ‘fire and rehire’ plan

Warehouse workers for Clarks have accused the 200-year-old shoemaker of betraying its philanthropic roots by threatening them with the sack if they don’t accept significant pay cuts.

More than 100 staff in Clarks’ main distribution centre in Street, Somerset, where the brand was founded by two Quaker brothers in the 19th century, claim the firm is seeking to cut their wages by almost 15% from the average of £11.16 an hour to £9.50 an hour by using controversial fire and rehire tactics.

The workers, who have been on strike for two weeks, have been told they must sign new contracts or risk losing their jobs without redundancy pay. They also face cuts to sick pay and reduced redundancy packages as well as the scrapping of paid breaks.

Clarks – which was taken over by a Hong Kong-based private equity firm, LionRock Capital, in March – closed its last UK shoemaking plant in 2006. But the company, in which the Clarks family now hold a minority stake, headquarters and main distribution centre are still in Street.

Trevor Stephens, who has worked at the warehouse for 17 years, said the firm’s actions were especially shocking given its proud history in the town. “The Clark brothers were ahead of their time in looking after their staff. They built houses, schools and even a swimming pool here in Street,” he said. “But [Clarks] are bullying us into accepting lower wages. It is destroying lives. It destroying families.”

Many staff fear they will not be able to keep up with their rent or mortgage payments if their pay is cut. Stephens, 45, said he wouldn’t be able to afford his flat if the new contracts are imposed. “I need a two-bedroom place for my kids to come to visit. They won’t be able to stay over if I haven’t got the space,” he said. “There is a real possibility I might be losing my job, my house, and my kids.”

The threat has overwhelmed some staff. Francis Foley collapsed the week after they were told about the new contracts. “I hadn’t had a day’s sick leave in 34 years until I collapsed and cracked my head open at work. I’ve been signed off for five weeks with work-related stress,” he said. “It all got too much with me and I’m still struggling now.”

Many in the town appear to be turning against Clarks.

The workers have been inundated with messages of solidarity, with postal staff refusing to cross their picket line and food donations arriving daily. “Clarks has betrayed the town. They have betrayed people who have worked for them for years,” said Foley, 54, whose father and brother both worked for the firm. “People are disgusted with what they are doing to us. People are dropping sweets and drinks off. Cars are honking their support all the time.”

Some newer warehouse workers are being paid less than long-standing staff, he said: “They should bring their pay up to ours.”

Last week delegations of council workers, firefighters and train drivers joined the picket lines. Dave Chapple, secretary of Mendip Trades Council, said: “Is this really the future for work in this country: no more collective bargaining negotiations, just industrial dictatorship?”

In a video, local Conservative MP James Heappey said strike action was “not the way forward”. Heappey said he had spoken to Stephens at his weekly surgery in July and had offered to take up individual cases with Clarks.

The strike comes as concern grows about employers’ use of fire and rehire. At least 28 firms, including British Gas and British Airways, have been accused since the start of the pandemic of threatening to sack workers who do not accept new contractsA poll for the TUC this year found one in ten 10 workers – three million people – had experienced the tactic.

Boris Johnson has called the practice “unacceptable”, but ministers have also insisted that firms in financial difficulty must have the flexibility to offer new terms and conditions.

A private member’s bill drawn-up by Labour MP Barry Gardiner, which will force employers to negotiate fire and rehire style restructures at a much earlier stage and give unions the right to take immediate strike action if managers do not engage in talks, has gathered the support of more than 200 MPs from across the House of Commons.

Clarks said the pandemic had led to turnover dropping by 44% and record losses of £180m last year. “Clarks did not undertake this lightly, but the proposals are part of a company-wide plan to secure future viability, with a view to protecting over 4,000 jobs in the UK,” it said. It added that terminating contracts on current terms and offer re-engagement on new terms would be “the very last resort”. It said the changes would mean more than half of the workers at the distribution centre would get a pay rise to £9.50 an hour. It said affected workers would be protected from any pay reduction until 2023 by top-up payments.

Business

FG, states, LGs share N1.678trn for February – FAAC

The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), has shared N1.678 trillion among the Federal Government, states and the Local Government Councils (LGCs) for the month of February.

This is according to a communiqué issued by FAAC and made available by Bawa Mokwa, the Director, Press and Public Relations, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF).

According to the communiqué, the total revenue of N1.678 trillion comprised statutory revenue of N827.633 billion and Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue of N 609.430 billion.

It also comprised Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) revenue of N35.171 billion, Solid Minerals revenue of N28.218 billion and Augmentation of N178 billion.

It said that a total gross revenue of N2.344 trillion was available in the month of February.

“Total deduction for cost of collection was N89.092 billion while total transfers, interventions, refunds and savings was N577.097 billion,’” it said.

The FAAC issued communiqué said that gross statutory revenue of N1.653 trillion was received for the month of February, which was lower than the sum of N1.848 trillion received in January by N194.664 billion.

It said that gross revenue of N654.456 billion was available from VAT in February, lower than the N771.886 billion available in January by N117.430 billion.

The communiqué said that from the total distributable revenue of N1.678 trillion, the Federal Government received total sum of N569.656 billion and the state governments received total sum of N562.195 billion.

It said that the LGCs received total sum of N410.559 billion, and a total sum of N136.042 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting states as derivation revenue.

“On the N827.633 billion statutory revenue, the Federal Government received N366.262 billion and the state governments received N185.773 billion.

“The LGCs received N143.223 billion and the sum of N132.374 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting states as derivation revenue,” the communiqué said.

It said that from the N609.430 billion VAT revenue, the Federal Government received N91.415 billion, the state governments received N304.715 billion and the LGCs received N213.301 billion.

“A total sum of N5.276 billion was received by the Federal Government from the N35.171 billion EMTL. The state governments received N17.585 billion and the LGCs received N12.310 billion.

“From the N28.218 billion Solid Minerals revenue, the Federal Government received N12.933 billion and the state governments received N6.560 billion.

“The LGCs received N5.057 billion and a total sum of N3.668 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting States as derivation revenue,’” it said.

It said that Oil and Gas Royalty and EMTL, increased significantly while VAT, Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT), Companies Income Tax, Excise Duty, Import Duty and CET Levies recorded decrease.

Business

NNPCL refutes explosion rumour at Port Harcourt refinery, confirms containment

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has debunked reports of an explosion at the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) in Rivers State.

In a statement issued on March 19, 2025, Olufemi O. Soneye, Chief Corporate Communications Officer, clarified that the event was a flare incident, which has been fully contained without posing any danger to staff, surrounding communities, or the environment.

“There is no danger or health hazard to staff, the surrounding communities, or the environment,” NNPC said in the statement

The company therefore urged the public and media to disregard false claims of an explosion at the refinery, emphasizing that operations remain unaffected.

The NNPC Ltd also reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and safety in its operations.

Business

Rising data costs will worsen Nigeria’s connectivity gap – CITAD warns

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has raised concerns over the increasing cost of internet data in Nigeria, warning that it further widens the country’s existing digital divide.

The centre argued that the increase in data will leave many underserved communities without access to essential online services.

Haruna Adamu Hadeija, the Coordinator of Community Network, CITAD, revealed this while speaking at a press briefing held at the CITAD office in Kano on Monday.

He emphasized the impact of rising data costs on marginalized communities.

According to Hadeija, the 50% tariff increase on data, calls, and SMS approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has made it increasingly difficult for communities already struggling with poor connectivity to access the internet.

“Now that data charges have been jerked up by 50%, students and parents in underserved areas have to ‘dearly’ pay to enable their children to learn online,” Hadeija said.

“This cost hike not only widens the existing connectivity gap but also makes digital liberation nearly impossible for millions of Nigerians.”

Hadeija noted that while Nigeria has made strides in expanding internet access, an estimated 27.91 million people in 97 underserved communities still lack internet access, according to a 2022 report by the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF).

He highlighted how this lack of connectivity continues to disenfranchise students, youth, and women, particularly those in rural areas.

“In regions where internet access is absent, parents must send their children far from home just to register for computer-based tests, conduct exams, and check their results. It is unfair that many communities are left behind because they cannot afford internet services,” he added.

The CITAD coordinator stressed the need for urgent policy interventions to address the widening digital divide.

He called on the Minister for Digital Economy to officially recognize community networks as an additional layer of connectivity providers in the country.

“We urge the USPF to support local communities with grants to deploy their own connectivity initiatives. These community networks are not competitors to Mobile Network Operators (MNOs); they are complementary solutions to bridge the existing connectivity gap,” Hadeija appealed.

CITAD also proposed capacity-building initiatives to empower local communities in resource mobilization and sustainability to create self-sufficient, community-centered networks.