Cleaning staff at Stormont could face having their hours cut in a review by a new multi-million-pound contractor, a trade union has warned.
US multinational Aramark was awarded an up to seven-year contract worth almost £5million to provide catering, cleaning and other services for Parliament Buildings.
A senior Nipsa representative said the firm is to review cleaning services at Stormont and warned this "could lead to a loss of working hours for staff".
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It emerges amid concerns over a number of staff being on zero-hours contracts and workers dealing with a two-week gap in their pay while Stormont switched companies.
Nipsa assistant secretary Dooley Harte said: "Nipsa is opposed to the outsourcing of public services including cleaning and catering in public buildings.
"Many of these workers were hailed as critical in the fight against Covid but now, due to decisions taken by politicians, face reductions on their working hours and in their take-home pay."
Mr Harte said they would work with the Assembly, Aramark and their members "to ensure this is not the case".
The contract was awarded by the Assembly Commission, a body made up of representatives of the main parties which runs Parliament Buildings.
Nine staff are on zero-hour contracts, the BBC's Nolan Show reported.
People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll called for zero-hour contracts to be outlawed, saying that "every worker is entitled to job security".
He also told the programme some staff had to work two weeks without pay last month amid the switchover to the Aramark contract.
The West Belfast MLA said: "The company told them if they wanted to take out a loan, they can do so, but have to pay it back throughout the year."
Nipsa's Mr Harte told Belfast Live the fortnight gap was a result of staff moving from the old contractor onto the Aramark pay cycle.
He said: "Outsourcing and re-tendering cleaning and catering contracts creates this problem and while we welcome that Aramark has provided financial support if needed, these low-paid workers would not be in this situation if they were employed by the NI Assembly."
Aramark said it employs more than 850 people across various organisations in Northern Ireland.
In a statement, it said: "In certain situations, we have a small number of colleagues working with us on casual contracts (nine at the Northern Ireland Assembly) in roles that have fluctuating schedules for events and holidays.
"We openly communicate the parameters of these roles with our colleagues and they are welcome to pursue permanent contracts within the company if they wish to do so."
The company said Stormont staff were offered a "voluntary advance" to bridge the gap in pay dates due to the contract switchover and they were paid for all the hours they worked.
An Assembly spokeswoman said Aramark retains "all responsibility" for employing staff under the contract.
She added: "The Assembly Commission is aware that Aramark employ nine members of staff on casual contracts, who support the delivery of services when requested at short notice, for events taking place in the evening and occasionally on weekends."
Last month, Stormont faced criticism for awarding the contract to Aramark despite the company being accused of providing "substandard" food services for asylum seekers and prisoners.
The firm has come under fire over its catering for refugees and asylum seekers in the Irish Republic, as well as in prisons in the United States.
Alliance MLA Kate Nicholl wrote to the Assembly Commission saying she was "incredibly disappointed".
An Assembly spokeswoman said the commission carries out all its tenders under established public procurement rules and Aramark "provided the best quality/cost bid of all bidders".
Aramark has said its teams "work hard every day to provide the best possible service" which is "accredited to internationally audited standards".
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