Transferred Cobalt workers may face redundancy

All 37 workers transferred across to the new contractors in charge of Cobalt Housing Association’s £5m-a-year housing contract in Liverpool face redundancy - just weeks after they were told their jobs were safe.

The staff, who have been transferred across from the joint venture partnership of Enterprise-Liverpool to contractors Bootle-based Building Structural Services, Integral, JC Construction and Ritson & McKenzie, were told in writing last week that they will have to go through a selection process to keep their jobs.

Last month Enterprise-Liverpool assured workers that there would be “no redundancies”.

UCATT convenor John Winstanley told CJ: “The letters said that workers who are multi-skilled face a better chance of holding on to their jobs. Others face statutory redundancy. We are still pushing for a ballot in around two weeks to take official strike action. This development is unacceptable.”

Last week’s unofficial strike action was called off following negotiations between unions and Cobalt.