City & Guilds is facing potential legal and industrial action over its ‘dishonest’ redundancy plans, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today.

The training and qualifications body, which was bought by Greek-firm PeopleCert last autumn, is advertising for jobs in Greece and the UK while being in the middle of redundancy consultations.

Unite, which represents workers at the organisation, believes that the current round of redundancies is just the first wave of job losses and that PeopleCert is ultimately planning to shed around a third of its 1,300 strong UK workforce. The company had previously given assurances to Unite that it was not planning to do so.

The union is considering legal and industrial action against PeopleCert for unlawfully withholding key information during transfer consultations and advertising for new recruits when it is legally required to give staff at risk of redundancy first refusal.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The way PeopleCert is treating these workers is absolutely disgraceful and will not be tolerated. Unite will use everything in its power to defend the City & Guilds workforce.”

Unite has written to PeopleCert warning that it will enter into formal dispute unless City & Guilds workers are given guarantees over jobs, consultations are extended and conducted in good faith and that a recruitment freeze is enacted.

Unite regional officer Peter Storey said: “PeopleCert has been dishonest from the moment it took over City & Guilds. Without significant movement from the company, this dispute will continue to escalate, including through potential legal and industrial action.”

ENDS

For media enquires ONLY contact senior Unite communications officer Ryan Fletcher on 07849 090215 or 020 3371 2065.

Email: ryan.fletcher@unitetheunion.org

Unite is Britain and Ireland’s largest union with members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Sharon Graham.