North Down Alliance Party representatives have urged SERCO to rescind planned redundancies in North Down saying they are appalled at the treatment of staff employed by the SERCO run leisure facilities across the borough, with many facing redundancy.

Andrew Muir MLA and Councillor Connie Egan have said the company is “acting completely out of line” by putting many people out of work in the run up to Christmas when it could have made use of the Government’s furlough scheme.

Andrew said: ““This should not be happening, SERCO is an extremely profitable company making millions on the back of the pandemic and should have no problem in retaining staff under furlough scheme which only requires significantly reduced employer contributions, something SERCO can well afford. I am extremely angry at such opportunism and I would urge SERCO once again to reconsider and rescind these redundancy notices without delay.”

Councillor Connie Egan added: “Those running SERCO are nothing better than pandemic profiteers. This is disgusting behaviour on their part and Alliance won’t let such shoddy treatment of local workers go unchallenged.

“Despite having been handed hundreds of millions of pounds worth of government contracts, SERCO haven’t even attempted to support local people by using the furlough scheme, instead opting to go straight to redundancies.

“These are former Council employees and we have a duty to support them. I’m working hard to find a resolution alongside officers and have asked Council that if these redundancies go ahead that they give their former employees enhanced financial packages and provide support at this challenging time.”