PRESS RELEASE - 3rd September 2006 - POOLS SCANDAL TO COST TAXPAYERS ONE MILLION

Public service union UNISON is holding a press conference to launch a damning report into what it calls the 'scandal' of the Council's swimming pool facilities transferred to a private contractor, Aspire Leisure Services.

The report. produced by the independent think-tank, the European Services Strategy Unit, will be the subject of a presentation by the principal author, Dexter Whitfield, on Tuesday 5th September at 2:00pm in the salisbury room at the Castle in Hertford. There will be a press conference at 11:00 am on the 5th at the UNISON office, Leahoe, County Hall, Hertforshire county Council, Hertford.

The report concludes that 'A grave misjudgement was made in awarding the contract to Aspire. 'The report blames the 'lure of £975,000 savings' which was given greater priority than the financial and staffing risks of the transfer and says that the contract with Aspire should be 'terminated immediately'.

The report says that if the Council knew that Aspire would be changing the terms and conditions of staff within months of the transfer the consequences would be 'important politically and financially'. The report suggests that the Council should have known this would happen since Aspire under budgeted on staffing costs by £180,000.

UNISON Regional Officer Kumar Sandy said:

'Currently Aspire plan to introduce jpay cuts for employees, including the lowest paid totalling£363,000 in an attempt to offset an alleged 3500,000 shortfall. Under the TUPE regulations which apply to transfers of its kind, it is illegal to attempt to cut wages of transferred employees.'

Kumar Sandy added:

'This report from a highly authoratative source, says that the Council now face an additional cost of one million pounds over the next four years to fix the situation. The decision to award the conract to Aspire Leisure has proved to be a costly mistake. In line with recommendations of the report, UNISON is calling for a thorough investigation of the whole sorry mess by the District Auditor. It is essential that someone is held to account for landing East Hertfordshire taxpayers with a one million pund bill'

For further information call Kumar Sandy Unison Regional Officer

- Work 01245 608927

Copies of the report will be available at the press conference.