A member of Highland Council has expressed dissatisfaction about the lack of council engagement over a major contract loss which has put hundreds of jobs at risk.
Around 270 employees at Serco’s call centre base in Dingwall Business park face an uncertain future after the company lost its contract with Westminster City Council.
The international service company were made aware of the contract loss in April but the staff, which includes both full and part time workers, are believed to have been told about the decision at the start of this week.
The staff at the call centre handle a variety of functions, including parking ticket enforcement, on behalf of the London-based local authority.
Two other companies – NSL Ltd and Agilisys – will be acquiring the parking services and customer services functions respectively.
It is understood that the contract change will come into force this November.
Councillor Margaret Paterson, Dingwall and Seaforth, said: “We as councillors have not really had any thing to do with this decision.
“It has come as a major shock to us and there was no opportunity for us to consider the matter. And it’s one of our major employers in the Dingwall area next to Highland Council and the salmon farm.
“If we had been engaged sooner we might have been able to have discussions with Westminster City Council to try and make them see that they are giving up an excellent workforce and to show how highly thought of they are.
“Normally we get a heads up about something like this but we will do all we can to help the workforce and probably at the beginning of the week the council will go in to talk with them.”
Councillor Graham MacKenzie, Dingwall and Seaforth, said: “At the moment it’s come as something of a surprise and we have to talk to SERCO themselves.
“I am desperately disappointed for anyone there for their jobs, obviously. But it’s a blow to the town’s economy as well. The local businesses are fragile any way and if these jobs are taken out then it will leave a big dent in Dingwall’s economy.”
Yesterday, a spokesman for Serco said that the company remains in talks with the two the new service providers to ensure a smooth transfer of staff.