Unite survey of Porton Down Health Protection Agency staff shows
they oppose the proposed move to Harlow
16 August 2010
In a survey conducted by Unite, 60 per cent of the 600 Health
Protection Agency (HPA) staff at the Centre for Emergency
Preparedness and Response (CEPR) at Porton Down oppose the HPA's
proposal to move to Harlow, Essex.
The HPA has submitted an outline business case for the Essex
move to the Department of Health on the grounds that the running
costs - due to the age of the main science buildings at the CEPR -
are extremely high.
Staff at the CEPR have serious concerns about the move and have
warned that a transfer could lessen security at the centre which is
responsible for research into countering bio-terrorism and deadly
diseases.
In a massive vote of no confidence in the HPA's senior
management team’s proposals, 85 per cent of staff felt they had not
been adequately consulted over any transfer to Essex and the
majority of staff did not think the move would ever be in the best
interests of CEPR and HPA. Additionally, 73 per cent said they
couldn’t afford to move to the more expensive area in Essex on
their frozen public sector pay.
Unite regional officer, Dorothy Fogg, said: “Turnout for this
survey was incredible given the fact that it was done during the
holiday period and just goes to show the strength of feeling of the
staff against this proposed move. Staff don’t want this move and
have demonstrated this with an overwhelming ‘no vote’ in our
survey.
“We are actively involved in discussions with the organisation,
however it won’t talk to us until it has the details from the
Department of Health whether it will fund this illogical move. We
believe this is the wrong move to make and we are hoping to change
the mindset of the HPA.
“We urge the HPA to work with us to save its loyal workforce
from any further grief. These workers are already struggling to
find their way through the recession and this proposed move is just
adding to their worries.”
Senior Unite representative at the CEPR, Mark Riches, said:
“These results show a decisive rejection of the HPA board’s
proposals and will form the basis of a sustained campaign to oppose
the move.”
In a final worrying statistic for the HPA 86 per cent of the
staff expressed serious concerns for their future employment with
the agency in any capacity or location.
ENDS
For further information please contact Dorothy Fogg on 07798
531011 or Ashraf Choudhury in the Unite press office on 020 7420
8914 or 07980 224761
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