WIREDGOV

PCS, who represent staff working for the Marine and Fisheries Agency (MFA), criticised plans announced yesterday to relocate the organisation out of London to Tyneside.

The MFA will form the proposed new Marine Management Organisation (MMO) which will be based in Tyneside.

Expressing concerns over the business plan supporting the MFA proposals, the union highlighted the recent relocation of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to Newport.

The move costed an estimated £100,000 per post to relocate, leading the union to warn that the relocation of MFA to Tyneside could end up costing the taxpayer more than any projected savings.

With many staff in the MFA unwilling to uproot their families to relocate the union went on to warn that people would effectively be forced out of a job, resulting in an organisational brain drain.

Approximately 200 people work for the MFA with over 100 people working in the London headquarters.

Commenting, Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said: This news will create great uncertainty for staff, who in these dire economic times face the choice of uprooting their families or potentially losing their job.

"Added to the potential loss of skills and experience are concerns over whether this move provides value for money for the taxpayer.

Whilst recognising that relocation can be a driver for regeneration, we don’t believe that people should be forced to choose between losing their job or uprooting their family to keep it.

 

"Whilst recognising that relocation can be a driver for regeneration, we don’t believe that people should be forced to choose between losing their job or uprooting their family to keep it.

"The agency needs to give staff assurances about their future and recognise that these are the wrong proposals at the wrong time.”