FYLDE MPs are battling to safeguard the future for thousands of the coast's civil servants.

With pay, conditions of service, job prospects and security under threat from privatisation, the resort's MPs have invited social security minister Keith Bradley to hear local civil servants' concerns.

Blackpool South MP Gordon Marsden said: "Keith Bradley is the minister responsible for carrying through the DSS programme of transferring certain services to the private sector.

"We've asked him to come and meet the staff at all levels, which he said he would, hopefully before Easter.

"It's important to keep these jobs in the Fylde."

Duncan Griffiths, Fylde branch secretary of the Public Services, Tax and Commerce Union (PTC), with 1,600 Fylde Coast members, said: "We want to talk about the future of the staff, conditions and rights and choices under the private companies, as well as ask him if there will be a bid going in to try to keep the jobs in the civil service.

"We are concerned about the whole principle of privatisation."

Two major privatisation projects are in the pipeline, affecting buildings and office service staff, mainly typists, messengers, reprographic, clerical, catering and security.

Fylde PTC chairman Richard Hardy said members had already had to prove themselves against the private sector and now were having to do it again, causing insecurity and worry.

The MPs, including Joan Humble for Blackpool North and Fleetwood, and Hilton Dawson for Lancaster and Wyre, also expressed concern about the War Pensions Agency, where declining numbers of pensioners are a further threat to job security.

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