Legal battle
over helpline
staff switch

The Government is facing a legal challenge over plans to privatise an equality helpline.

The Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) said it had “serious concerns” over the transfer of staff from Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) offices in Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow to a new call centre in Stratford upon Avon run by a private company.

In a letter to Home Secretary Theresa May, PCS leader Mark Serwotka said the Government had failed to properly consult staff about the move.

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It said officlals also failed to follow legal regulations on transfers and an agreement on avoiding redundancies.

“It is a matter of serious concern that the EHRC is shortly to transfer this country’s official national advice service on issues of equality and human rights to a company, Sitel, that through its policy of non-recognition of trade unions denies its own staff a fundamental human right,” said the letter.

“We hope you will wish to re-examine the long-term effects of outsourcing the UK’s national equality and human rights helpline to such a provider, in such a fashion, and with such disregard for the dedicated public servants who currently provide the service.”

The union said it will shortly be making legal representations.