Worcestershire County Council is planning to fire and rehire more than 140 employees, despite a Labour pledge to ban the practice.
The workers would be dismissed from their 37-hour contracts at the Conservative-run council and rehired to work 35 hours a week.
Labour’s manifesto said the party would end fire and rehire, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer has indicated that proposed legislation to ban the practice could be in tomorrow’s King’s Speech.
Jack Kay, a regional organiser for trade union Unison, said: ‘The outrageous plan to “fire and rehire” more than 140 long-serving staff on reduced terms flies in the face of the new government’s plan to end this brutal and outdated employment practice.
‘With this likely soon to become illegal, councillors should reconsider their damaging proposals, which would force a pay cut on staff, affect their pensions and local services too.’
Worcestershire began consulting on reduced hours with the 150 staff last December, and its chief executive has since authorised the proposals.
A council spokesperson said: ‘The council remains committed to full and meaningful consultation and always aims to achieve agreement to any proposals it makes.
‘It would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage as the process is ongoing.’
