CWU steps up bid to save 170 jobs

The Communication Workers Union has vowed to step up its campaign to save 170 jobs at the cheque processing company Intelligent Processing Solutions Ltd (iPSL) at Bootle on Merseyside.

The jobs are among 600 iPSL is planning to axe across the country.

The CWU said it was increasing efforts to save the Liverpool jobs after the company turned down the option of going to the conciliation service ACAS, the union said to avoid a “needless breakdown in industrial relations”.

The iPSL announced last year it is planning to close the Bootle site sometime during 2018, as part of site closure programme which would move work to two sites in the Midlands.

This two site solution would end cheque processing in Bootle after 50 years; a plan which the CWU has challenged. The issue has become more urgent as the preliminary work for the changes led to three jobs being moved to Northampton. While talks resolved two cases, one person remains under threat of redundancy.

CWU national officer Nigel Cotgrove said: “We’re not looking for confrontation and want to resolve this issue so that we can concentrate on the wider threat to the site and the urgent challenge of keeping quality jobs in Liverpool.

“While only one person is at risk at the moment this will set the pattern for the future. We have offered to continue talks at ACAS but iPSL has turned this down.
 
“We have a long track record of dealing with restructuring and job losses through a voluntary process but iPSL want to move away from this and force compulsory redundancy when there are other options available.

“The absurdity of the current situation is that, at present, only one of our members is under threat of compulsory redundancy and we are convinced that a satisfactory solution for all parties can be found if dialogue is maintained.”

Andy Kerr, deputy general secretary (Telecoms & Financial Services) added: “The CWU’s door remains wide open to further discussions, but iPSL is refusing to go to ACAS. We can only conclude that iPSL is seeking to provoke a dispute to provide an excuse to move work away from Merseyside. iPSL needs to change tack and seek a negotiated agreement to avoid a needless breakdown in industrial relations and disruption to cheque processing across the UK.”

An iPSL spokesperson said:  “iPSL has been in active discussions with the CWU over three potential redundancies at our Bootle site since October 2016.

“Work for three testers has diminished because of the continuing decline in cheque volumes. The three roles have not been moved to a different work location.

“Through this dialogue, we have been able to successfully resolve the situation for two of the three testers and continue to explore opportunities for the third.

“During this process, we have maintained the ‘status quo’ with the impacted employees remaining in their role whilst the work continues to diminish.

“We have followed the internal process agreed between both parties for such discussions, but have always maintained that we would be unable to maintain the status quo indefinitely.

“We have therefore informed the impacted individual and the CWU of our decision to recommence consultation on the proposed redundancy. On several occasions, we have reviewed options for redeployment opportunities during this period and continue to do so.

“We have declined to go to ACAS at this point, as we have indicated a preference for continued face-to-face dialogue with all parties. We have not broken any of our internally agreed processes with the CWU by making this decision.

“No other employees in Bootle, or any of our other operating sites, are impacted by this current situation.

“We are committed to working with the CWU as the implications of moving to image based clearing become clearer and, driven by the fact there will be no Out Clearing Paper to process in the future, the diminishing need for iPSL remote data capture.

“We have already shared with all our employees planning assumptions regarding future site strategy and the potential consolidation of nine existing operational sites to two during 2018. These plans are still to be agreed by iPSL clients and board but remain the plan of record.

“iPSL remains committed to keeping our employees informed and in the interest of being open, honest and transparent, we provided this update at an early stage to give them as much time as possible to prepare for any proposed changes to our ways of working.

“We hope the CWU will continue dialogue with us, so we can explore all potential opportunities that may bring these circumstances to a satisfactory conclusion.”