Court staff to protest over job cut fears (From Kidderminster Shuttle)

Court staff to protest over job cut fears

7:00am Thursday 1st November 2012 in News

COURT staff will be protesting outside Kidderminster Magistrates Court today amid fears 20 workers could lose their jobs.

Public Services Union (PCS) members will be holding the demonstration at 12.30pm against the privatisation of court enforcement, including fines collection.

PCS claims the privatisation of court enforcement, which could be in place by next summer, would result in the loss of 2,500 jobs nationally, with 20 of them being lost from the Kidderminster court.

Kevin Greenway, a court worker and national executive member of PCS, said: “The privatisation of court enforcement is bound to lead to private companies targeting soft options to collect outstanding money.

“It will also mean that they will not be bound by the scrutinised procedures currently in existence that could see the usage of private debt collector tactics.”

He added: “It is not as if the current service is not working. For the last three years, year on year, there has been at least a 10 per cent improvement in this particular part of the court service work, with last year’s figure being a 14 per cent improvement.”

Andrew Lloyd, the Midlands regional secretary for PCS, said: “It is not just wrong that private debt collectors will be bidding for the services and undoubtedly use unscrupulous tactics to collect money, you cannot forget that a profit will be allowed to be made from criminal acts.”

PCS will be holding similar meetings across the UK and is also balloting court workers to take industrial action.