Industrial action not ruled out over 60 Birkenhead Land Registry job losses

Oct 28 2009 by Matt Hurst, Heswall News

INDUSTRIAL action hasn’t been ruled out by unions, following the announcement that a further 60 jobs could go at Birkenhead’s remaining Land Registry office.

The organisation informed staff jobs would be on the line last week, as part of a national “five year programme of transformation”.

But unions slammed the move and Birkenhead MP, Frank Field told the News, “we seemed to have lost sight of what a public service is”.

Mr Field will be meeting with the government on Friday to raise the issue.

In the meantime, the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union is consulting members, and accuses Land Registry of targeting low-grade clerical positions and putting public records at risk by threatening the filing branch in Argyle Street.

According to PCS, marketing could be outsourced, while IT support and facilities management are vulnerable.

Land Registry bosses said the slump in the housing market cost the organisation £130m last year, and despite earlier cuts, another loss is expected for 2009.

Birkenhead’s Old Market office, off Hamilton Street, was marked for closure in March, at a cost of 100 jobs, and remaining staff were moved to the organisation’s Rosebrae site.

Chairman of PCS’ Birkenhead branch Dave Lunn said: “We’re trying to resolve this through whatever means possible but if, at the end of the consultation period, members jobs are under threat, we’ll have no hesitation in balloting for industrial action, including strike action.”

A 12 week consultation process is now underway.