Cheshire East council leader and Sandbach town councillor, Sam Corcoran, is being urged to write to Prime Minister Boris Johnson demanding the practice of hire and fire is outlawed.

Two Cheshire East councillors are seeking assurances the council won't use fire and rehire as an employer and it won't employ contractors who use the practice.

Cllr Laura Smith (Crewe South, Lab) and Connor Naismith (Crewe West, Lab) are behind the move to get council leader Sam Corcoran to take action.

The practice involves workers having to reapply for their jobs on worse pay, terms and conditions or face the sack.

A motion put forward by the two councillors to Wednesday's (October 20) meeting of the full council states: "One in 10 workers have experienced 'fire and rehire' with BME workers facing this at twice the rate of white workers, since March 2020.

"A quarter of all workers have experienced a worsening of their terms and conditions – including a cut in their pay – since the pandemic began."

The two councillors said the PM, while condemning it, had 'continually refused to take action to outlaw the practice', meaning many workers had been forced to accept worse terms and conditions, so they were working longer hours for lower pay, 'with what can be devastating consequences for workers and their families'.

Councillors are being asked to support the motion, which also seeks to confirm the council has a procurement official practice 'that ensures we are working with contractors that have good employment, trade union, equality and environmental records'.

The council meeting takes place at Macclesfield Leisure Centre at 11am on Wednesday, October 20.