Unions to act over forensic sell-off

The Government is facing industrial action at the Forensic Science Service, where employees are waging a campaign against privatisation.

The Government's proposal to privatise the FSS is particularly controversial as it could include the national DNA database, which holds records of more than two million genetic profiles.

The trade union Prospect, which represents 1,400 scientific staff at the FSS, has just canvassed employees at the FSS's seven laboratories around the UK. "There is certainly some pressure for industrial action ... but they wouldn't want to do anything that would affect the running of the criminal justice system," said Mike Sparham, leader of Prospect's campaign. The union will decide this week whether to ballot members over industrial action.

The Public and Commercial Services Union, representing 380 clerical staff at the FSS, is also opposed to the deal and is lobbying MPs, although it says it is too soon to discuss strike action.

The FSS employs more than 2,500 people in its seven laboratories, and conducts forensic examinations for the police. The Government announced last month that it would be sold off in a public-private partnership, in order to raise money to invest in recruiting more skilled staff and to boost research and development. "[Employees] don't think it will serve the criminal justice system well, and think it will raise costs and discourage police forces from putting work in for forensic analysis," added Mr Sparham.

Private equity firms such as Carlyle Group and Legal & General Ventures are expected to be interested in the partial sale of the FSS, as they were in Qinetiq, the scientific service that makes gadgets for the Ministry of Defence and the secret intelligence services.