BRITISH Gas workers in Thurrock are once more on strike today (Friday, 12 February) in an escalation of a dispute with company owner Centrica.

Thurrock Nub News reported last month of the start of industrial action by engineers who believe their jobs are threatened and terms and conditions will be damaged by a 'fire and rehire' policy implemented by the company.

The fresh industrial action will be in three lots of four-day strikes, the first of which began at midnight. Other will follow on 19 February and 26 February says the works union, the GMB.

Workers claim Centrica is attempting to push through pay cuts by threatening to "fire and rehire" workers, with almost 90 per cent of GMB union members voting for industrial action against the firm in December.

This week's strike could see more than 200,000 households around the UK face delays to their boiler repairs as temperatures plummet below freezing in some parts of the country.

GMB national secretary Justin Bowden accused Centrica boss Chris O'Shea of "doubling down on his fire and rehire cuts in pay and conditions" for British Gas workers.

"O'Shea threw down the gauntlet to the gas engineers on hated fire and rehire and they picked it up," Mr Bowden said, adding that "longer term, the practice of fire and rehire should be outlawed".

Mr O'Shea earlier this week revealed he had been sent excrement in the post over the pay dispute. Mr O'Shea told MPs at a business committee meeting that the package was received by his wife and teenage son "with a note about fire and rehire".

Mr O'Shea said he understood what he was asking was "difficult", but that he was "not immune" to the situation.

"I know this puts a lot of pressure on people," he told the Business Select Committee. "Only yesterday my wife and teenage son had a package of excrement delivered to them with a note about fire and rehire. This is something that affects absolutely everybody."

"Undoubtedly what I'm asking people to do is difficult, I won't shy away from that," he added.

"However, my view is that I would rather do everything in my power to save the 20,000 jobs that we've got."