The second meetig was today, everyone has rejected the local agreement. Several points were also raised about the criteria used for selection, their relevance and importance. Next week 2 people will be selceted for redundancy, in 3 weeks the office will shut.

It has been announced that the office I am employed from is to be closed as a cost cutting measure, as well as this 2 people are to be made redundant, the workforce currently being 9. To do this my employer wants me to sign a local agreement stating that my existing contract still stands and I will be paid as I always have been paid from the address of the office (the office that is closing) Perhaps to explain the office situation a little more, several years ago my branch merged with another branch under one manager, but the 2 offices were kept distinct and my place of employment was still the same. The reason my employer does not wish to transfere us to the other office is because he will then have to pay expenses from that office to the site where we work, the current office is close enough to the site where we work that he does not have to pay expenses, my employer has also stated that the closure of my place of employment does not constitute termination of employment. Agreement to this is part of the criteria used to determine who will be made redundant. I am a little concerned if what is actually being done is legal, if I agree to the local agreement am I throwing away the 20 years service I have, any advice or information welcome