by Peter Lazenby, northern reporter

A NATIONWIDE campaign against the reviled “fire-and-rehire” attacks on workers’ wages and conditions was launched in Manchester today.

Brent North Labour MP Barry Gardiner has the support of more than 200 cross-party MPs for a private member’s Bill to outlaw the “immoral” practice.

The mobile Stop Fire and Rehire campaign he has launched is expected to add to nationwide demands against the practice.

Bosses are using the tactic to sack workers and offer them their jobs back on lower wages and worse conditions.

A poll by the TUC showed that 9 per cent of the British workforce — three million people — were under threat from fire and rehire.

Mr Gardiner said: “Fire and rehire is creating misery for millions of families.

“The government says that it accepts fire and rehire is wrong but, it has underestimated the scale of the problem.

“Nine per cent means three million workers face insecurity in their work.

“People on all sides want this practice controlled by better legislation.

“We must work together to stop this immoral practice.

“I will be criss-crossing the country to meet those under threat and call on all decent employers to do the right thing.”

Launching the campaign with Mr Gardiner today was Salford and Eccles Labour MP Rebecca Long Bailey.

She said: “It is not right that people are being told at a minute’s notice that that their pay is being lowered, their hours are being lowered and the terms and conditions that they have enjoyed, sometimes for decades, are being wiped out in an instant.”

Manchester was a fitting site for the campaign launch.

In May this year, 500 Manchester bus workers employed by multinational corporation Go Ahead defeated an attempt by bosses locally at Go North West to fire and rehire them.

The workers, who were members of union Unite, took 85 days of strike action and won support across Greater Manchester and the north-west region.

Unite last year launched a national grassroots campaign against fire and rehire.

Prime Minster Boris Johnson has condemned fire and rehire, but has failed to take action to outlaw it.

Among employers using fire and rehire are Sainsbury’s, Argos, British Airways, British Gas, Go Ahead and Tesco.