15 November 2007
Unite has been informed by the management of the PSNI today that up to 400 civilian posts are to be lost over the next three years as part of the change in policing in Northern Ireland.
The union is accusing the PSNI of creating a two tier workforce by only targeting long serving staff rather than staff employed since the establishment of the PSNI as there would be a cost to the organisation if these workers had also been targeted.
Unite represents staff mainly in the industrial civil service group where there will be a major reduction in transport workshop staff. The jobs will be redeployed and transferred to administrative roles or sent back to the Northern Ireland Civil Service.
Unite Regional Officer, Kevin McAdam, said
"Our members are being offered pens for spanners or a return to the civil service which is already shedding industrial jobs.
We were aware that a change was coming but management seem determined to set up 'PSNI inc.' at no cost to the organisation.
There has been no attempt to offer early release packages to those staff who have worked for many hard years supporting policing in Northern Ireland. Recognition has been given to police officers, RIR, prison officers and the civilian MoD. Yet, all our people are being offered is to be sidelined to menial jobs until retirement - a new slant on the term natural wastage.
We believe there is scope for negotiated voluntary redeployment and an early release scheme that will maintain the high standards of workmanship going forward in this change process and we will engage with management to achieve this."
