Plans to outsource council jobs to a private company are being opposed by the union Unison. Burnley Council wants to transfer 60 jobs in its Revenues and Benefits department to Liberata, which already runs similar services in Pendle.
Unison said it feared staff pay and conditions would suffer as part of Liberata's attempts to make a profit.
It said staff had been told the transfer could go ahead as early as April 2006.
Liberata wants to set up a call centre in Nelson to handle the council business.
'Pay and conditions'
Kate Terry, of Unison, said: "We are opposed to outsourcing to private companies in principle - it's been demonstrated endless times in other authorities that this actually results in a poorer service to the public.
"Liberata are estimating that if they get three local authority groups together they can provide the service with a 20% cut in charges.
"That can only be done at the cost of staff pay and conditions.
"We will be opposing this move and we will be looking to local councillors to support us very strongly in that."
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