Liverpool row intensifies for Interserve

A row over redundancies among Interserve operatives engaged on Liverpool's council house maintenance programme has intensified after the company refused to recognise a UCATT steward as part of a delegation to discuss the workforce's grievances.

John Winstanley, UCATT regional organiser, said Interserve had refused to recognise one of his union's members as part of a delegation. Consequently, projected talks had not taken place.

It is claimed that the man had inquired about the voluntary redundancy terms. But Interserve took that as an acceptance of redundancy and hence barred him from the delegation on the grounds that he was no longer an employee.

Winstanley said five unions are now co-ordinating a move towards industrial action. They are UCATT, TGWU, GMB, Amicus, and Unison.

Interserve was awarded a seven-year contract by Liverpool City Council in April 2000 to maintain and repair some 33,000 council homes. The outsourcing contract involved the transfer of 600 staff.

Bob Blackman, TGWU national secretary, described the company's approach to finding redundancies as "pretty outrageous". Interserve denies this.