Swansea Council has responded to threatened IT staff strike action which the Reg revealed last week. The council is considering outsourcing all staff in an effort to save money. The latter complain that they were not consulted before an advert was placed in magazines inviting offers for the business. Ballots for industrial action go out today.

But a council statement issued to The Register states: "A great deal of time has been spent in discussions with IT and other staff since Christmas. A number of meetings have been held between IT staff and the two bidders involved in the process."

The council also insists jobs are safe. The statement continues: "None of the proposals being considered will result in any IT staff losing their job. IT staff will either remain in-house or will transfer to a private partner with their terms and conditions legally protected under TUPE." The council assured workers that their jobs would stay in Swansea and that staff will still have access to Swansea Council's local government pension scheme.

The council is getting in touch with all IT workers but it does not believe any strike action would substantially delay the timetable for handing over Swansea's IT infrastructure. ®

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