Performance Doorset Solutions (PDS) make TV debut

BWF member PDS featured on an ITV election special as a small business that has thrived and grown over the past 5 years and do not employ people on zero hour contracts. The company are based in Littleborough, Lancashire and manufacture a range of timber windows, doorsets and bespoke products.

The piece by Daniel Hewitt of ITV-Granada was called ‘counting the cost of living’ and was made for the run up to the general election to identify whether or not people feel better or worse off when it comes to cost of living over the past five years. The airing included some factory shots as well as an interview of PDS MD Tim Fairley who was identified as an employer whose company is growing rapidly and has been able to employ 50 new staff, none of which are on zero hour contracts.

The aim of the programme was to highlight the contrast in experiences people are having across the region. The employment situation at was compared to that of Katasha, a lady who’s had a completely different experience. She felt that while working within hospitality she has grown worse off over the past 5 years which she put largely down to the lack of job security she has with a zero hour contracts.

Having taken on several apprentices and young people in the past year and with plans to employ more, Mr Fairley of PDS explained in the programme why zero hour contracts were of little use for his business:

“What we need is people who show loyalty to us because they know they’ve got a job and it’s a permanent job, via that we can train them and invest in them and then they can invest themselves in PDS”.

A spokesperson for the company added:

“This week has been an exciting one for all at PDS. After years of hard work PDS are coming out of the recession stronger than ever. Where many other organisations have stumbled over recent years PDS have gone from strength to strength with their turnover exceeding £13 million for the first time this year.”

“This type of work environment must seem worlds apart from that of Katasha who spoke up on ITV on behalf of people on zero hour contracts where one week they can be earning hundreds of pounds and the next week earn nothing at all. Stability and long term employment is key for everybody, and long may it continue”

You can view the clip as it featured on ITV Granada:

www.itv.com/news/granada/update/2015-04-01/counting-the-cost-of-living/