A DECISION to announce 1,000 temporary jobs in Runcorn in the same week as the ONS branch office received its death sentence has been branded "cosmetic".

While politicians welcomed news that ICL will be setting up at Halton Lea for the 2001 census, employing 1,000 people on one-year contracts, a ONS union rep was less pleased.

The 120 staff at Runcorn Office for National Statistics (ONS) now fear the worst after the Government last week unconditionally accepted a recommendation to slash costs and jobs in the statistical service.

American firm Lockheed Martin won the £23 million contract to run the 2001 census and handed some work to ICL.

ICL will hire clerks to scan data electronically.

But PCS union official Norina O'Hare, which represents ONS staff, said: "This feels and sounds like a cosmetic announcement."

"There is still uncertainty and it's causing great problems of morale for staff in Runcorn."

At present ONS staff carry out detailed statistical analysis.

The temporary jobs, meanwhile, involve scanning census returns into machines.

A significant number will be hired under the state-subsidised New Deal - "The taxpayers are actually going to be helping ICL employ them," said Ms O'Hare.

"Our staff have been living under this Damoclean sword for two years."

The ONS will close in 2002 and Ms O'Hare believes the Government is delaying in the hope that staff will leave themselves, thereby keeping redundancy costs down.

"Basically the Government is not prepared to pay them redundancy money.

"What we have to remember is that in the 1991 and 1981 censi the ONS have always increased their staffing by about 1,000. In 1991, they employed 1.000 on Civil Service rates of pay."

She said that the ONS had helped these staff to find other jobs after their contracts were up

ICL spokesman Daniel Bausor said: "There are a lot of people with the appropriate skills and, secondly, there was a secure site there."

Halton Council leader David Cargill said: "I am delighted for ICL and the people of Halton that it has worked out so well."

He believes it demonstrated the confidence of major companies in the area.

Meanwhile Mike Hall MP called it "great news" for Runcorn, saying: "Over the past few months we have had some very bad news on the job front, so this announcement is doubly welcome."

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.