Deadline over council job cuts
COUNCIL bosses have been given until noon today to meet with union bosses over drastic job cuts – or face costly legal action.
Thanks to a 6m budget deficit, 40 jobs will be cut from the highways department, including 12 from the award-winning healthy transport team. And the total figure could rise to 400 if the same cost-cutting exercise is extended across the whole district, according to Unison.
The healthy transport team, set up to tackle congestion and promote health, will be killed off as part of the 40 job-cuts, with 12 staff being offered redundancy or redeployment.
One employee, who did not want to be named, said: “There was no consultation and we were put under pressure to go quietly. We were told it was for financial reasons and now the team has been torn apart.”
Chris Jenkinson, Unison Yorkshire regional officer, said: “We have taken legal advice and feel the council has not acted in accordance with a trade union act. We have written to the council leader, deputy leader and chief executive informing them of this and for the third time invited them to start a proper and meaningful consultation on these cuts.
“We have stressed that we do not want to take this legal route, but they have until noon today to respond. If they don’t we will bring a claim against them.”
The claim is likely to be a ‘court ordered protective award’, similar to an injunction.
Mr Jenkinson said, if successful, the council could have to pay union members 90 days’ pay – a bill which would run into tens of thousands of pounds of tax-payers’ money.
Coun Anthony Calvert slammed the latest cuts, saying: “At a time where we are trying to encourage healthy living, especially among younger people, I find it absolutely staggering that this council elects to make its swingeing budget cuts in healthy transport, removing many hardworking officers who manage and integrate the district’s cycle lanes network.”
Hilary Brearley, Wakefield Council’s director for human resources, said the council was trying to become more efficient and provide value for money.
She added: “Improved methods of working mean we can continue to provide services with fewer resources. Many other non job-related savings have also been identified.
“Any restructure carried out in the council is managed through our workforce management policy, which ensures that all alternatives, including voluntary options and vacancy management, are explored, leaving compulsory redundancies as a last resort.
“Trade unions and employees will be consulted throughout the process, and individuals identified as under threat of redundancies will be given appropriate support, including exploring opportunities for redeployment.”
But Mr Jenkinson said: “Staff were told to make a submission, but this is nothing more than lip service to meaningful consultation. They have treated people in a callous way and will lose hardworking public servants. We are simply not going to have it.”
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Weather for Wakefield
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -4 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 0 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South west
