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Print

Monday, 10 December 2007

Outrage as Derbyshire Jobs are Slashed

Construction union UCATT have described as “outrageous” a decision by Rykneld homes to slash their workforce by a third. A total of 50 jobs will be lost out of an entire staff of just 150.

Rynkeld homes were only formed in April this year. It is an ALMO (arms length management organisation) of North East Derbyshire District Council.

When the homes were transferred to the new organisation, unions were not told that the organisation was operating with a £1.6 million black hole in its accounts. The discovery of the large deficit has led to the decision to seek redundancies.

Steve Murphy, UCATT Midlands Regional Secretary, said: “The secrecy of North East Derbyshire District Council is outrageous. Union representatives were kept in the dark about the financial problems of the housing account, throughout the transfer process. My members hoped that the creation of the ALMO would give them a new start and fresh impetus, today many of them face being slung on the scrap heap.”

Negotiations between union representatives, led by UCATT, and the management have led to an initial decision to seek voluntary redundancies. However if there are insufficient applicants then it may have to introduce compulsory redundancies.

Mr Murphy, added: “ We are losing 50 valued jobs in the community. These workers are highly skilled craft workers who provided a great service over decades to the council tenants of North East Derbyshire UCATT hope that through the regeneration programme that the authority will be putting jobs back into the community.”