BROMLEY Council bigwigs are being accused of ‘blackmailing’ their staff into signing new contracts.

Unite union says workers have been threatened with the sack unless they sign themselves out of the national pay and conditions agreement by Tuesday (April 23).

The union is concerned the local contracts will hit council services hard and plunge the workforce into poverty.

It also fears the council has a long-term plan to adopt an easyCouncil model, by slashing the workforce to just 300 and outsourcing all of its services.

Unite regional officer Onay Kasab said: “While the majority of the workforce has accepted the new local contracts under duress, more than 500 workers don’t want to be bullied into accepting inferior contracts which slash pay and conditions.

“The threat to sack these workers by the close of play on Tuesday unless they sign the new contracts (or face the so-called ‘dismissal and re-engagement’ process) smacks of blackmail.

“Workers should not be penalised for valiantly upholding the principle and reality of agreements negotiated nationally.

“We call on the council to engage constructively in consultations with Unite to avoid redundancies and not resort to these hardline tactics which mitigate against achieving a fair and equable settlement.”

Bromley Council leader Councillor Stephen Carr said: "We value our staff and are implementing local terms of conditions to better recruit and retain the right staff and reward committed, hard working, exceptional performers through challenging times. 

"We strongly refute the somewhat emotive assertion that the new local contracts are inferior and designed to ‘slash’ existing pay and conditions. 

"On the contrary the new local contract, agreed by more than 86 per cent of our staff, not only maintains existing terms and conditions but goes beyond any national proposals by giving a guarantee that these will be protected for at least the next two years. 

"Again, the offer includes a pay increase, which we believe goes beyond anything being offered nationally. 
 

"The assertion that staff who have rejected the new contract will be dismissed on April 23 is false. 

"We have held over 50 consultation meetings with staff and their representatives on the proposals and sought to address their concerns. 

"Now, as part of the 45 day consultation period we will continue to engage with the minority of staff who have rejected the offer to avoid the need to dismiss anyone – where this does prove necessary those staff will be re-employed immediately on the new local contract."