TALKS are taking place between town hall chiefs and union leaders over the future of council workers' jobs.

Unison, the public sector workers' union, is worried staff at the town hall could lose out when Blackburn with Darwen becomes a single status authority.

Council chiefs have put together a deal which means only staff whose jobs are changed by 51 per cent following the shake-up will have to reapply for their jobs.

Leaders of the council's ruling Labour group say the package has been designed with the aim of safeguarding most of the posts.

Under the package, workers who do not move more than one grade up the staff structure when the council breaks free of county council control will not be affected.

And people whose current duties do not change more than half will not have to reapply for their jobs.

Staff have been learning how the move to unitary status will directly affect department structures and individuals. Unison became worried about the effects of the changes at the town hall after it was announced department head posts would be advertised on the open market.

Formal talks with union officials from Blackburn and Darwen as well as County Hall are set to start next Thursday and continue for around three weeks.

The proposals will also be discussed at a meeting of the recently formed strategy group.

And an appeal structure is also being set up for cases where staff are given new job descriptions and are not happy with the changes.

Gail Barton, chairman of the strategy group, said: "The council is aware of the anxieties of staff and is anxious to give as much certainty as possible, bearing in mind that we do not have agreed budgets from the council.

"However, the vast majority of staff will have a role to play in the organisation after April 1, 1998."

Unison officials did not want to comment on the package put together by the council.

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