DOZENS of catering staff are afraid they will not have a job by Christmas after their employer was dropped from a catering contract.

Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) chiefs made the call to scrap Cordia as their catering provider, handing them their notice last month.

Staff are now scared they will be unemployed by Christmas, with the contract due to end on December 15.

The staff work for Encore, the catering arm of Cordia, and work across five units on campus including coffee shops and the canteen.

It is not yet known whether they will transfer to Encroute, the new firm taking over the university catering, or whether they will remain on Cordia’s payroll.

One staff member said: “I’m feeling very hurt, very hurt.

“At the moment its looking very bleak. We don’t know what’s happening, we don’t know where we’re going, we don’t know who we’re going to be working for. The university don’t want us.

“We’ve been here most of our lives and now they’re throwing us out”

“[It seems like they are saying] You’ve done your time, we’re not interested anymore, get out’"

Trade Union GMB has blasted university chiefs for failing to engage with members and union reps., however when questioned, the university said ti was Cordia's responsibility to talk to staff.

Louise Gilmour, GMB Scotland organiser, said:“Cordia lost the contract with 80 days’ notice and now members are in limbo as to whether they are getting TUPE transferred or going on Cordia’s displaced list.

“Workers are upset and scared, and with no word from either the university or the employer they are beginning to fear the worst.

“Calls to the university – including to Chief Financial officer Gerry Milne – have not been returned while Cordia claims to have been kept in the dark.

“GMB Scotland is calling for Caledonian University and Cordia to come clean and let these workers know where they stand. There’s only so long that our members can put up with not knowing if they’ll be in the same job come Christmas.”

A GCU spokeswoman said: “[The University] is currently implementing a different catering service model. Cordia (Encore Hospitality Services) was provided with due notice of this decision.”

Cordia’s director of services Andy Clark said his firm “regret the decision” taken by the university to terminate the contract after 16 years, and has vowed to reassure staff he will work to get the best possible outcome for them.

He said: “Our current contract with Caledonian ended last December, and we have been operating on an extension period.

“Obviously we regret that this decision has been taken after 16 years of serving the university and its students.

“I have met with our staff at Caledonian and assured them that we are working tirelessly with the university and the trade unions to achieve the very best outcome possible for them.”