BNFL U-turns put staff confidence at risk

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BNFL U-turns put staff confidence at risk

Responding to reports that British Nuclear Fuels’ Board has again revised its plans for the sell-off of the British Nuclear Group (BNG), Prospect - the largest union in the nuclear industry - has condemned the shift in policy direction and lack of leadership.

The union understands that the BNFL Board are consulting with the NDA and government on yet another change of strategy.

On behalf of 6,000 scientists, engineers and professional staff in BNG, Prospect National Secretary Mike Graham said: "This constant vacillation is starting to resemble an amateur boxing match – plenty of flailing around and flannel while the workforce watch from the ringside in disbelief at the lack of leadership and prevarication.

"First staff were told that selling the group as a whole was in their best interests. By August the position reversed as the board backed plans to sell the business piecemeal with the date for the Project Services sale brought forward and the rest of the BNG sale delayed.

"It now appears as if it is the BNFL Board’s intention to sell the Magnox reactor sites business, this being on an accelerated timescale in line with the sale of Project Services. This will leave Sellafield as the sole remaining part of BNG, which will come under pressure to be competed early, potentially with a realignment of contracts. These latest changes and concerns reinforce the fears of staff that the business is now rudderless.

"This is damaging morale and raises questions over whether the future of this safety-critical business is being determined by who is the highest bidder rather than who has an established track record in the fields of health, safety, security and environmental performance."

The union is seeking assurances from the BNFL Board that it has not already identified buyers for either Project Services or the reactor sites and is calling on individual board members to declare what bonuses they will receive as a result of the sale. "We have also written to the board to remind them that any final decision over a sell-off rests with the government and will be subject to public scrutiny. We are urgently seeking to raise the issue with ministers," said Graham.

Prospect is also calling for openness and transparency regarding:

  • site and employee safety
  • job security
  • terms and conditions of employment
  • pensions, and
  • the culture and quality of incoming firms either by sale or competition.