SALES staff at furniture retailer MFI have appealed for union help after facing what they say is a cut in pay and extra hours.
Shopworkers' union Usdaw said it had received "a flood" of enquiries from MFI employees after the company - which has a store at Ringway Industrial Estate in Huddersfield - announced changes to working practices.
Kevin Hegarty, a Manchester-based spokesman for Usdaw, said about 150 MFI employees had so far joined the union.
He said the union had been "inundated" by calls from staff at the kitchens and bedrooms retailer seeking advice.
It comes amid claims that retail staff were facing cuts in commission rates and faced longer hours.
Said Mr Hegarty:
"We will represent MFI members who join as individuals, but we would be able to make a stronger case if we were representing them en masse."
Sir Bill Connor, Usdaw general secretary, said: "The workers are understandably worried about the changes and are keen to establish their rights.
"We are still trying to establish the facts behind these recent developments."
MFI director Pat Fawson said the
changes to the variable commission structure in MFI Retail reflected the changes to MFI's reward policy throughout the business.
"It does not mean a change to working practices or the need to work longer hours," he said.
"The business can only grow if we achieve good sales. The new commission structure will ensure we can do that, benefiting everyone in MFI."
