Hundreds of defence workers in Shropshire fighting to save their jobs could win a reprieve, an official of the Public and Commercial Services Union said today.Andy Gilbertson, based at Sapphire House in Telford, said he was cautiously optimistic over the future of the MoD building.
The Stafford Park base, which has a workforce of about 460, is due to see its operations transferred to Bristol in December 2008.
Mr Gilbertson said a review by managers at the defence equipment and support organisation began this year to look at a “measured approach” to closing the building.
And he believed they had been considering other options other than the closure in December 2008.
“That is why we are cautiously optimistic at the very least that they might well be looking at something different other than closing us down,” he said. “It could result in a reprieve from the original decision.”
He said the review was originally looking at the actual risk associated with closing Sapphire House.
Mr Gilbertson said senior managers had invested a lot of time and effort looking at various options.
“We don’t believe they would have done that if there was not going to be something different other than closing the building in 2008,” he said.
“What we believe is happening today is there will be some internal decisions being made. We are advised a formal announcement of that decision will be given to staff some time between now and November.”
Mr Gilbertson said staff morale at Sapphire House at the moment was “very low” because of the uncertainty.
Share this article:
What are these?