Hugh Bayley MP for York has received assurances from Railways Minister Tom Harris, that staff based at GNER's York HQ are somewhat protected under regulations known as Transfer of Undertakings (protection of employment) (TUPE). Basically any costs incured relocating York based GNER employees will be paid by by the franchisee.
This doesn't sound like much protection to me. What's to stop the new franchisee sacking the lot and relocating head office somewhere else? Mr Bayley seems to think that these regulations will put preasure on the new opperator to keep the HQ in York, but I can't see why. They either incure costs keeping the York HQ, incurr staff and property relocation costs if they move it elsewhere or incur redundancy and property costs if they make people redundant and move HQ somewhere else.
Either way it will cost. In my experience companies usually go for the cheapest most practicle option. Which option that will be is open to debate. Given that my employer is currently making a large number of people redundant and the uncertainty this situation create, you guys have my sympathy.