Council staff win compensation fight over Babcock redundancies - The Worcester Observer

Council staff win compensation fight over Babcock redundancies

Worcester Editorial 22nd Aug, 2016 Updated: 19th Oct, 2016   0

A LEADING union has slammed Worcestershire County Council after compensation for more than 100 workers who made redundant when education support services were privatised was confirmed.

UNISON reached an agreement with County Hall chiefs on the redundancies caused by the transfer of staff and education support services to Babcock earlier this year.

The agreement was reached after protracted legal negotiations between UNISON, the council and Babcock. The case centred on which organisation knew and when, around 103 members of the 391 workforce would be made redundant following the transfer

County council chiefs have now agreed a cash settlement to compensate the redundant workers and have admitted they would look at what lessons could be learned.




The admission didn’t stop UNISON Regional Organiser Charlie Sarell branding the transfer of staff and services to Babcock from Worcestershire County Council as ‘badly handled’.

“At no point prior to the transfer were the union or our members aware that they would be facing redundancy after the transfer,” he said.


“The settlement that UNISON has been able to reach with the council reiterates the importance of open and frank negotiations between the council and the union over difficult issues such as this.

“UNISON members who lost their jobs will at least see some compensation as a result of this settlement,” he added.

Jim Price, Branch Secretary of UNISON’s Worcestershire Branch, said: “We hope Worcestershire County Council will have learnt valuable lessons from this process.

“We call on them once again to look again at the benefits of maintaining in-house services, for the good of staff and our communities”

Coun Andy Roberts, cabinet member for transformation and commissioning, said: “Our number one priority has always been to improve outcomes for Worcestershire’s children.

“We commissioned Learning and Achievement services in order to deliver those improvements.

“To avoid any further stress associated with a tribunal and to minimise the disruption that it would have caused, we are pleased to have reached an agreement with Unison.

“We will look at what lessons can be learnt.

“We are not able to comment any further because of legal reasons,” he added

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