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Former SPCK workers win tribunal case

20/08/2009 08:00:00


From USDAW: Victory for workers sacked by e-mail

32 sacked Christian bookshop workers have finally won a substantial payout with the help of shopworkers’ union Usdaw.

The workers were employed by the long-established SPCK chain of Christian bookshops until they were transferred to a charity called Saint Stephen the Great Charitable Trust (SSG) in November 2006, controlled by two American brothers, Mark and Philip Brewer.

The Brewers tried to force the staff to sign new contracts which gave them longer hours, fewer holidays and poorer pension rights.

Between February and June 2008 the 32 workers were sacked by the Brewer brothers, with many getting the news by e-mail, breaking UK employment law.


The news has made the BBC: Sacked bookshop staff win payout

Friday's Church Times will (I think) have more on the ongoing former SPCK story. In the meantime here are some other developments of interest as documented by the SPCK/SSG blog:

Most of the shops are now closed and many have notices from the Charity Commission Interim Manager saying that the locks have been changed. See Changing the Locks: Official Notices as seen in Chester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Worcester.

Only Durham and Chichester are still listed on the Third Space books site, the website that became the main bookshop site. See Third Space Books: A Visual History of Time

No-one fully understands this latest development: Philip Brewer files for Chapter 13 Personal Reorganization


If the actions of his brother Mark are anything to go by, I think we know exactly what Phil Brewer is up to.

This is a sad and messy end to a good bookshop chain, but at least there is some justice done, rather than asset stripping and exploitation.

David Keen | 20/08/2009 10:02:46




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