Any recourse?

SarEl

It doesn't matter who walked away - redundant is redundant. It actually sounds like the employer has been attempting to play fast and loose and assumed the council would get no other tenders and that they could hold the council to ransom on the contract. And they just found out that it didn't work. And ermm - whoever in the council told you that should not have done so. So do not release the e-mail because they have broken the odd half dozen very serious rules.

Mrs_Optimist

Thank you SarEL. The contact at the Council who emailed me the above information is the Head of Contracts and Services ! I wasn't prepared to release the email in any event (the employer also wanted it to be emailed to the Union so I guessed that it was important to them in some legal aspect) simply because it is between myself and him, I am not acting in a Employer/Union or Legal capacity, merely as a concerned wife who was fed up with not getting any answers. My concern was that the employer would try to get out of paying redundancy as they realise now that it is going to cost them plenty. It seems that they are stuck in that regard.

Out of interest what would the repercussions be if the email was released?

The employers have certainly had their bluff called. At least DH will get redundancy and severance (I may well post again to ascertain whether what they are offering is right, if that's ok with you)