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Anglian Water Business (AWB) is set to take on up to 14 Business Stream employees as it prepares to supply the Scottish public sector.
AWB won the £360 million deal following a protracted tendering process by the Scottish government, and as a result it will take on some of the customer facing staff from Business Stream.
Speaking to Utility Week, Unison head of campaigns Dave Watson said: “It could be as many as 14 of the customer service staff that are transferred from Business Stream to AWB as a result of the deal.”
The staff are set to move under transfer of undertakings (TUPE) rules, which aim to protect employees’ rights when the organisation or service they work for transfers to a new employer – in this case AWB.
AWB is set to more than double its 15-strong workforce based at its Edinburgh office on the back of winning the contract, including taking on those who transfer across from Business Stream, as well as some new apprentices.
An AWB spokesperson said: “We know we will need to double our workforce in Scotland, but the exact size of the team required is still being discussed and finalised, and we won’t be able to do that until we have had the relevant conversations with the employees at both Business Stream and AWB.
“The contract will be managed from our Edinburgh office on Melville Street, and as well as the team based there, we will have a number of staff travelling around Scotland, speaking to customers face-to-face, plus subcontractors too.”
Watson added that there is unlikely to be a “huge impact” on Business Stream, because “it is actively chasing other business and will not want to lose its experienced members of staff”.
The Scottish government also stated that as a public entity, Business Stream will maintain its no compulsory redundancy policy.
AWB was named as the “most competitive bidder” for the £80 million a year public sector water and wastewater supply contract by the Scottish government earlier this month.
The Huntingdon-based water company is set to supply more than 100 public sector organisation as part of the deal which could run for four years.
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