THE PACE team at NCR, brought in to help employees facing redundancy find new jobs or training, is in a race against time to interview workers at the Dundee factory before they start volunteering to accept a severance package.

Members of the Partnership Action for Continuing Employment will start speaking to staff today with briefings scheduled over the coming days—and nights.

They are concerned that some of the 600-plus workers to be made redundant will volunteer for redundancy before they are in full possession of the facts with regard to job and training opportunities elsewhere.

NCR workers have now been told by the company that they can apply for details of their individual severance packages and some may decide to cut their losses and take whatever cash is on offer.

In a bid to make sure that workers are fully informed before making a decision, the PACE team will be holding meetings with groups of workers over the next three days, the last of which will be at 2am on Friday for the night shift.

The Rev Erik Cramb, chairman of the NCR rapid response group, said, “I am delighted that the members of the PACE team will complete the initial group briefings before the weekend and before any employee leaves the plant.

“We want to give people every assistance we can to get them to where they want to be.

“This will span advice on job hunting, retraining, starting up your own business, claiming jobseeker’s allowance, access to education and personal finance.

“Employees who are currently on sick leave, maternity or annual leave are also being contacted so that arrangements are made to give them direct support.”

Starting next week, those who volunteer for redundancy will be given one-to-one interviews with PACE staff from Careers Scotland and Jobcentre Plus.

Mr Cramb added, “Along with members of the PACE team, I will be attending some of the group briefing sessions for both the day shift and night shift to hear first hand what the concerns and expectations of the workforce are.

“This will help shape our support both in the short term and over the coming months.”