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VOSA enforcement staff await decision on redundancies
VOSA HAS NOT ruled out making enforcement officers redundant as it forges ahead with a restructuring programme to clear a I:40m deficit, according to its trade union TUS.
Directors at the government agency sat down with union officials this week to discuss plans for staff reductions, in order to clear existing debt in its trading fund account and handle budget cuts brought about by the Comprehensive Spending Review.
VOSA says it intends to make /50 posts redundant by April 2011 and it is thought that up to 80 of these positions will be through its voluntary scheme.
Kevin Warden, TUS secretary. says he expects to know before Christmas where exactly the axe will fall.
"We haven't got exact facts and figures and who is and isn't going to be here yet," he says, "Certainly there seems to be a Nriew that there will be a reduction in some of the operational staff numbers, probably more so on the enforcement side."
1 le adds: "Whatever restructuring is done, it's important that road safety isn't compromised as a result."
"the PCS union says VOSA is in a "financial mess" and that the =
Li nouncement of job losses,
as well as the closure of two more testing stations.
"makes it clear that nobody in VOSA is safe from redundancy".
A VOSA spokesman says: "We had our first formal meeting with unions on Monday. We shared with them our proposals for reductions and we have agreed a process for implementation. Further meetings are scheduled. We cannot at this early stage disclose precise numbers and roles."