ALMOST 100 probation jobs in East Lancashire are being threatened with the axe under ‘drastic’ cuts according to unions.

Sodexo, which owns the Cumbria and Lancashire Community Rehabilitation Company, and is planning to lay off 85 people in Lancashire under new plans.

The proposal could see 436 staff lose their jobs, at the six community rehabilitation companies it runs across the country.

Unions said jobs would be lost in Northumbria, Cumbria, Lancashire, South Yorkshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.

The company, which currently employs 340 staff in Lancashire, was accused of seeking to impose a severance package worth less than half of what members are owed.

Maria Moss, Unison north west regional organiser said: “Prior to Sodexo taking over ownership of the service, we had a local agreement with management over redundancy pay.

“This agreement was made in good faith. The same managers are still in place and we hope local negotiations will result in them honouring the agreement that they entered into and that they do the right thing by the staff.

“Sodexo is a wealthy multi-national company. It has only been the owner of the service for a matter of months and already it is axing jobs with no regard to the communities it should serve.”

Sharon Holder, national officer of the GMB said: “Sodexo was well aware of our members’ contractual entitlement to redundancy pay when it bid for, and was awarded the contracts.”

Ian Lawrence, Napo general secretary, said: “We demand the company pays what our members are due.”

Ben Priestley, national officer for Unison, said: “Sodexo made £39.6 million operating profit last year, so the company’s pleas, that giving staff their contractual entitlement to redundancy pay is too expensive, rings very hollow for our members.”

A Sodexo Justice Services spokesperson said: “We have shared details of a voluntary severance offer and our proposed staffing levels with employees at our six community rehabilitation companies. Given that we are formally consulting on plans, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”