Rotten boroughs : Norwich City Council

The UCATT construction union is pursuing employment tribunal cases for unfair dismissal, failure to transfer and failure to inform and consult on behalf of it's 125 members who worked on social housing maintenance contracts in Norwich.

Connaught went bust in September 2010. The company's £125m five-year deal with Norwich – which covered waste and recycling, street cleaning and council house repairs – was only announced in December but sparked controversy at the time. Morrison, the previous holder, won an injunction against the council awarding the contract after claiming Connaught had agreed to do the work at an "abnormally low" price. Morrison eventually settled out of court.

The Norwich contract employed 500 people but 200 jobs were set to be saved by the council and KPMG, the administrators, moving the waste collection and cleaning services from Connaught Partnerships to Connaught Environmental, which is not in administration. An interesting manoeuvre!

Last September, Councillor Steve Morphew, leader of Norwich council, said he would be "moving urgently to let emergency and temporary" social housing contracts. Morgan Sindall, which is paying £28m for all but 13 of Connaught's social housing contracts, will deliver emergency repairs in the meantime.

Now this transfer is complete, it is alledged that the company and council took advantage of the situation to dump staff and re-employ some of them on reduced terms. If this true, then it is scandalous and the union has a fair case.
 
It will be interesting to see what happens in court and what precedents will be set.