Battle to save 80 CSA jobs
MSP wants to keep posts in town
The loss of 84 government jobs in Cumnock is being fiercely resisted.
The Child Support Agency announced it will pull out of the 10,000 square foot building after 15 years.
The agency is being replaced and governing body the Department of Work and Pensions has vast amounts of excess office space it wants to ditch.
Cumnock MSP Jeane Freeman said: “I was angered to hear of the plans to close the DWP facility at Killoch House in Cumnock. This is another high- handed announcement from the DWP, with no prior notice or consultation.
“My concern is for the 84 people who work there who may have to transfer to Ayr, Kilmarnock or lose their jobs. We need to have jobs throughout Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley to enable our communities to thrive.
“We need the DWP to justify closing this service, and to engage in proper consultation with staff and the local community. If it is about saving money, then perhaps they can explain where the savings will come from.
“I will work closely with Corri Wilson MP and the Scottish Government to fight these closures and resist this latest round of cuts in our community.”
The politicians are continuing talks with the PCS union in a bid to keep government jobs in Cumnock.
The building on the Caponacre Estate opened in 2002 to deal with the administration of the CSA and could be shut by the end of the year.
The DWP say they want to redeploy staff rather than make them redundant.
Secretary of State for Scotland David Mundell said: “The DWP need to make changes to the way they provide services but I share the real concerns people have over the closure of the Killoch House administration centre in Cumnock.
“It is bound to cause uncertainty and the important thing now is to work together to ensure jobs can be relocated smoothly.”
Nationally the DWP say so that because almost all work is now done by applicants online that staff workload has reduced dramatically.
About one fifth of the 1.5 million square metres of space across Britain is now surplus and could save £ 180 million a year for ten years in leased accomodation costs.
Cumnock is one of 27 “back offices” set to shut - while 700 will remain.
A DWP spokesman said: “We have approximately 80 staff at the Cumnock Killoch House site.
“Redeployment will be something that emerges after one to one meetings with each member of staff.
” The child maintenance work staff at our Killoch House are involved in is planned to come to an end in 2018.”