Wirral Council staff may be sacked and offered new contract in budget cut plans

Nov 14 2012 by Liam Murphy, Birkenhead News

EVERY council employee in Wirral faces being sacked and offered a new contract with new conditions if they do not accept changes to their employment.

All staff – around 4,700 people – could be given “formal notice of dismissal” and offered “re-engagement” – their jobs back, but on new terms and conditions.

A confidential document produced by the authority only titled “draft overall timeline” outlines the steps senior management think they may need to go through as they press forward with their proposed changes to staff contracts.

The move would follow an anticipated ballot of council staff next January.

Unison branch secretary Joe Taylor said it made him question the point of the consultation over the changes which started with staff last week.

He said: “I asked them [council managers] if we do not get agreement on changes to terms and conditions, what are you going to do and they said they would not disclose that. But the document quite clearly says they have got a plan to dismiss and then re-engage on February 4.”

The timeline document emerged as the council announced a package of £49million worth of cuts options to tackle a £39million budget deficit.