I would like some advice on redundancy please, I am a contractor in a media firm as a switchboard/Helpdesk operator, my colleague and I work shifts. I also work elsewhere during the week part time.

On the 15/09, my colleague and I were called into a meeting without any notice with the HR director to let us know that due to the volume of calls being low, the hours of work will be reduced from 8hrs to 6hrs and 1 of us will have to go unless we come up with any ideas to keep our job.

On the 17/09, my colleague calls and emails my manager informing her that even though she loves the job and she is willing to accept the redundancy as she had found a weekend role working directly for the Guardian and she felt that because I have been in the job longer (she used to work full time there for 2 yrs before she became part time) and in december, i would have been in that role 4 yrs, she works full time during the week, as long as she gets the redundancy money, the job should go to me as there is a threat of redundancy in my other role, I am a student and planning for a wedding next year and also she was 100% sure the job will go to me anyway as she has had several issues with my manager and due to her sickness record when she was full time employee, she was off sick for a long time but only took 2 weekends off work this year, same as me and before that I had only had 1 weekend off in 3 yrs. I have never had any disciplinaries, always had good apraisals and my sickness record has been pretty good. When she contacted my manager and HR manager they said they did not offer voluntary redundancy and asked her if she was resigning instead. My colleague thought that was unfair but because she did not want to lose her redundancy package and was only trying to do the right thing, she did not understand why they are being difficult but she said fine, she will let them choose then.

On the 22/09, my manager comes in and asks us if we have found a way for both of us to keep our job and we both say no, she gave us our package on a post it note in front of each other then said that both of us will find out on wed 26/09 who is being made redundant and asked me to leave the room and spoke to my colleague on her own, I am yet to recieve an individual consultation but i guess mine is on saturday. i received a letter on wednesday at 17:30 inviting me to a meeting this saturday 29/09 which may result in my result in the termination of my employment on the grounds of redundancy. My colleague was surprised she had not received any emails as my manager had said that she will contact both of us on wed so she texts my manager asking her why she had not heard anything, my manager sends a text telling her that I have been invited to a dismissal meeting and that she will be meeting her on saturday to discuss her new role. My colleague was shocked she had been giving the role but surprised that we had not been informed about a new role, all we were told in the first meeting was the hours are being reduced and 1 person is going.

There doesnt seem to be any legitimate reason to want to get rid of me especially when my colleague was willing to accept her redundancy package with no extra benefits. We have the same skills to do the job, ive never had any complaints in 4 years, I am 30 and she is 56, I am black and she is white. Do you think its fair to dismiss me? and what questions do you think i should ask on saturday at my dismissal meeting please? Your help will be much appreciated.