The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCSU) has vowed to campaign against the loss of up to 1,500 jobs and the closure of five offices at the Land Registry as part of moves to save £92m pa.
The government department will today be holding a meeting of its 7,700 staff to explain why the cuts, which will affect jobs ranging from administrative assistants to more senior civil servants, are necessary.
It is expected that Registry executives will blame the downturn in the housing market for plans to reduce costs.
The Land Registry says that the changes will ensure that it is a department “that is fit for the future, can live within its means and can continue to provide an outstanding service to its customers”.
It has launched a public consultation on the proposals, which runs until 29 January 2010.
The local offices under threat of closure are those in
The PCSU said that 1,100 jobs could be lost if offices close, and the jobs of a further 400 staff could be privatised.
The unions have warned that the closures will affect services to the public as well as the economies in the targeted towns.
Mark Serwotka, PCSU’s general secretary, said: “Staff are shocked and angry about these plans. With 1,700 jobs already gone there is a real danger that services to the public will suffer as the agency is cut to the bone. Added to jobs cuts and office closures, staff have the double whammy of privatisation hanging over their heads.
“Experience shows that privatisation is not the silver bullet to save costs and it often provides poor value to the taxpayer because corners are cut in a bid to turn a profit. The government needs to recognise that putting hard working civil and public servants on the dole at a time of economic uncertainty will only prolong the recession in the communities affected.”
