The council has invited two private IT specialists CapGemini and ITnet to bid for the lucrative project. Known as Service@Swansea it will involve new computer-linked call centres where the public can do everything from pay bills to make inquiries about local schools.
But the 100 IT staff already employed by the council are concerned abut a move to the private sector under the new arrangements.
IT Staff in Swansea who have established an unofficial website to fight the plans claim the project might eventually cost £100m. But the authority has insisted its contribution will be £35m based on £3.5m a year over 10 years.
Even though Swansea City and County Council promised yesterday no IT staff would lose their jobs because of the new service, Unison's Swansea spokesman Jeff Baker said others could.
He said, "The council has said it will put £35m into the project over the next 10 years. It has also informed us the new service could achieve savings of £3.8m. We are concerned that some of those £3.8m savings could come, not necessarily from IT staff, but in the form of jobs of those who currently handle queries from the public."
In Bradford where a similar so-called "e-gov" project is under way at an estimated cost of £100m, IT staff overturned plans to outsource their jobs to the private sector with a threatened strike.
Instead they will now be seconded to the private firm running the new service, known as Bradford ICT (Information and Communications Technology).
Mr Baker said yesterday, "I think secondment is a better idea because staff would remain employed by Swansea City and County Council though managed by a private company. We are still in the dark about the future of jobs."
IT staff in Swansea are this week being balloted about possible strike action over the issue.
A statement from the council said, "Service@Swansea is one of the most exciting e-government projects in Wales.
"The threat of industrial action will not affect the timetable for the contract or the contract itself."
Autor: Robin Turner
Quelle: ic Wales, 13.07.2004
