Union's 'alarm' over hub jobs plan (From Redditch Advertiser)

Union's 'alarm' over hub jobs plan

4:50pm Monday 29th October 2012 in News

UNION chiefs have warned their bosses they will resist any attempts to privatise the jobs of Worcestershire call centre workers.

Steve Brown, of the county’s Unison branch, said he was “alarmed” at proposals which could see a shake-up of the Worcestershire Hub.

It was reported in the Advertiser last week, council chiefs are considering outsourcing some staff at the Worcestershire Hub’s call centre – which answers calls to Worcestershire county.

Talks are due to start with private operators over the shake-up, with council chiefs saying they want to keep the jobs in Worcestershire.

Mr Brown said: “Nobody has spoken to us about the discussions yet, but we would hope for some dialogue soon.

“The people who work at the hub are our members. If they are merged with the revenues and benefits staff or sent to a private company we would have to be consulted.

“We have been alarmed at what is being said. We’ve heard people saying the jobs are safe, but in our experience when services are handed over to private operators that is not always the end result. We don’t want it.”

The hub, based in Worcester, is part of Wychavon District Council’s revenues and benefits shared service department.

Vic Allison, from Wychavon District Council, has said that he is likely to insist any private company does not take any of the jobs out of the county.

The main reason for the change is because the Government is simplifying Universal Credit next year, meaning existing work done by revenues and benefits staff will go back to the Department for Work and Pensions.