THOUSANDS have signed a letter to British Gas shareholders warning them of the damage being done to their investments by the company’s brutal fire-and-rehire strategy. 

As 7,000 service engineers prepared for a fresh four-day strike from tomorrow, GMB union revealed that nearly 5,000 supporters had signed a letter to high-profile investors urging them to help secure a negotiated end to the dispute.

The shareholders — including Schroders, Standard Life Aberdeen and Blackrock — between them own about 85 per cent of British Gas’s parent company, Centrica.

The letter argues that the company’s intractable approach, which has provoked strike action against the imposition of new contracts and pay cuts, risks inflicting permanent damage to the company’s reputation.    

Engineers will have taken a total of 20 days’ strike action when the current stoppage ends on Monday, with 210,000 homes waiting for repairs and 250,000 planned service visits axed, according to GMB estimates.

Despite this, polling shows that an overwhelming majority of customers back the strikers.

“British Gas bosses don’t seem to be able to see what everyone else can — that the plan to fire their entire workforce is damaging to the company, to customers and to the workforce,” said GMB national secretary Justin Bowden.

“Now thousands of people have written to shareholders to see if they can use their influence and get chief executive Chris O’Shea to do what is best for the company. 

“GMB stands ready to continue talks, but we are clear that fire and rehire must be taken off the table first.” 

Eight further strike days are planned across February’s remaining weekends, with the prospect of more in the spring if the company fails to drop the threat of fire and rehire.