NEWS that 150 jobs are safe brought relief, disappointment and confusion in equal measure to workers who are now preparing to reapply for their own jobs.

Staff who emerged from a meeting with bosses just after midday yesterday gave mixed reviews in terms of what comes next.

Mum Donna Bromley, who works part-time at the Olympia House office, said she felt a lot better knowing more jobs had been retained than first thought.

"It’s obviously a bit of a worry now that we are all applying for our jobs again," she said.

"But it is better than some of us expected."

But others, most of which did not want to be named, were upset that a "cloud of uncertainty" regarding who got to keep their job remained.

One man who works in customer services said: "When 280 people are applying for the same job you are, you are not guaranteed anything", while another woman said simply: "I did not see my 20-year career ending this way."

Linda Vokes from Malpas also said the fact 50 per cent of the workforce had been lost was still "massively disappointing".

"I think the management have been very manipulative – we could have been told a lot of this a lot sooner," she said.

Workers expect to begin the re-application process in September.

"The whole process has been extremely long-winded, and it does feel as though an axe is looming over the head," one woman said.

Union officials said concerns were now raised over future terms and conditions for those lucky enough to stay.

Paul McGoay, IPS group president in the Public and Commercial Services union, said staff are “extremly worried” for their jobs, and said that in his view the campaign continued.

“It will still have a devastating impact on the community in Newport,” he said.