WIREDGOV

PCS today criticised proposals by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to axe the jobs of over 100 British diplomats serving in some of the most sensitive parts of the world.

The FCO plan to remove up to 134 UK civil servants serving as management officers in UK embassies around the globe and replace them with staff recruited locally. Management officers are responsible for the oversight of embassy staffing, finances, property and security.

Localisation of staff is planned in approximately 50 countries, including Iran, Iraq, Russia, China and Nigeria, where the FCO plan to recruit staff to manage the day to day running of UK embassies.

This is of particular concern in countries where there are high security risks and a threat of espionage and organised crime. PCS are calling on the FCO to reverse this decision and are particularly concerned that the FCO have refused to rule out compulsory redundancies.

Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, added: "Management officers carry out a vital role in UK embassies overseeing sensitive areas of work such as security and finance. It is unacceptable that the FCO are refusing to rule out compulsory redundancies.

"If the FCO want to make savings they should be looking at the £60 million they spent on consultants last year. Staff are facing the double whammy of the threat of redundancy alongside the government’s proposals to slash civil service redundancy terms. Ministers need to step in and halt these plans."