MORE than 350 workers are being sacked by the county–council owned social care company because they would not agree to a new contract that meant less pay.

Staff at Tricuro were angered at changes to their contract which mean they will work bank holidays and weekends for no extra money.

Unison said this could mean a loss of earnings of up to £2,600 for workers and it organised a protest outside County Hall.

But the Echo has learned today that Tricuro has ended talks with the union and is issuing dismissal and re-engagement letters to all staff who did not agree to the changes.

Dismissal and re-engagement letters mean a company sacks the staff and re-hires them, as long as they sign a new contract with the changes the company wants to make.

One worker who has received the letter said they feel that staff are being 'held to ransom' and that the company has not listened.

They added that the news has come at the 'worst possible time of year', with Christmas around the corner.

In a statement to the Echo, Tricuro managing director Alison Waller said: "Following the conclusion of discussions with unions, I can confirm that Tricuro have issued dismissal and re-engagement letters to staff who have not voluntarily accepted the change to their terms and conditions of contract."

She added that the company is supporting staff through this 'difficult period.'

The move has been condemned by union representatives.

They say that on October 18, staff were told about the changes. They say they were given eight days to respond and told that if agreement could not be reached it would be 'necessary to terminate [your] emplyment.'

They claim that when Tricuro was set up last year Dorset, Bournemouth and Poole councils, staff were 'promised that the transfer wouldn’t mean any loss in pay.'

Unison officer Pete Challis said – “This dispute is not over. The company’s behaviour has gone beyond the pale. But the trade union proposal is still on the table and a solution can be found.

"Tricuro mounted Project Fear. Managers told staff that if they didn’t agree to cuts in their pay and conditions they would be sacked. Tricuro's plans would actually have broken the law, which they ignored. Our members were very frightened and we have no doubt members felt compelled to sign because if they didn’t they would lose their jobs.

"We will work tirelessly to find a solution that avoids hitting the lowest paid. Tricuro says the workforce is its most important asset yet it deliberately misled staff by not telling them it was actually dismissing and re-engaging.

"This is a company that cares for the most vulnerable; now it needs to show that it cares for its staff who do such vital work."

Unison claims that the company ended talks on Tuesday and less than four hours later the dismissal letters were in the post. It says the company is 'trying to take £600,000 out of the pockets of its lowest paid workers' and that the cut was agreed before talks with ACAS had begun.