Cleaning staff at the Old Bailey have been told they will no longer be working for the public body and their jobs will be outsourced to a private company.
Thirty-Two members of Central Criminal Court staff employed by the City of London Corporation will be transferred on 1 March to a private company called OCS.
The decision was announced with very short notice with no warning, sparking concerns about the workers job security from the GMB union.
One cleaner and member of GMB union said: “The proposed outsourcing makes me feel like I don’t matter, after many years of dedicated service.
“I will now become an alien, outsider, contractor, no longer a part of the family or team as we were always told.
“Outsourcing to me means uncertainty about my long-term job and financial security.
“I am anxious to say the least. I feel like I am starting all over again.”
GMB regional organiser Anna Lee explained many of the staff had worked at the Old Bailey for more than 30 years.
They had also built relationships with judges, barristers and other court users.
Lee said: “They are understandably distressed to be told at short notice that they are being transferred to a private company with a track record of underpaying and overworking its staff.
“We call upon the City of London to stop this transfer.”
Picture credit: Free to use from Unsplash
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