THE Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is “denying the human rights of our members,” PCS leader Mark Serwotka said yesterday.

Opening the public-sector union’s conference in Brighton, Mr Serwotka said the official human-rights watchdog was “acting in the worst traditions of a rogue anti-union employer.”

Staff at the commission are taking rolling strike action at offices across Britain.

Since it was created in 2008, the EHRC has faced cuts of 70 per cent and now it has been threatened with a further 25 per cent budget reduction over the next four years.

Nine staff were given dismissal notices in February with some getting just 24 hours’ notice by email.

After outrage from unions and a groundswell of support, EHRC put staff back on the payroll. But dismissal notices were not withdrawn and the staff were banned from EHRC offices.

Of the eight union members issued redundancy notices, six are black or minority ethnic, five are disabled and seven are older workers. Four are union reps and one was a lead negotiator opposing the cuts.

PCS is now pursuing legal action against the EHRC. Staff at the commission’s London offices are on strike this week, following five days of action in Glasgow last week. The strike will move to Cardiff next week, and Manchester the week after.

PCS national executive committee member Zita Holbourne accused the EHRC of a “complete disregard for human rights.”

She told the conference: “Staff were given one-day notices to clear their desks. One member had his wheelchair taken away and it took weeks to get it back.”

EHRC rep Mark Stone said: “The focus of the cuts has been on the lower grades.”

He said there had been “no support to find suitable alternative employment” for the sacked union members, saying bosses’ treatment of them amounted to “continued victimisation.”

The commission spent £90,876 on agency staff in April as well as £17,900 on recruitment.

PCS says the EHRC has failed to consider the equality impact of its cuts — despite being responsible for ensuring that public bodies assess this.