Council staff face job losses amid £20m budget squeeze

OLDHAM Council has begun consultation with staff and trade unions over potential job losses due to £20million budget cuts.

Savings could mean the loss of the equivalent of 65 full-time posts.

Council chiefs have to save just over £20million in 2017/18 as a result of continuing funding cuts from the government and continuing increases in the cost of and demand for services.

A public consultation got under way on September 6 on a range of savings options.

Transform

They include a range of measures to transform the way public services are provided along with ceasing funding for a number of services and external organisations and increased efforts to generate income that covers the costs of providing services.

Proposed cuts include closing the Link Centre, reducing the top-funding to parish councils, introducing charges to cover the cost of residents' parking permits and enforcing fines on drivers who disregard bus lane restrictions.

The council stresses that notifying staff and unions of the potential impact does not pre-judge the outcome of the consultation on the proposals which could still change.

But legally the council must go through the measure to ensure staff are made fully aware of how their jobs could potentially be affected.

Deputy council leader Abdul Jabbar said: "We are now formally consulting with staff and trade unions over potential redundancies. This is a regrettable but unavoidable consequence largely due to the continuing cuts that are being made to local government funding.

"I'm very keen to stress to affected staff, trade unions and the public that this does not mean we have already decided or confirmed our decisions on the current budget savings proposals.

"It is simply a step we must carry out legally and out of respect for the affected staff to notify them of the potential impact should the proposals go ahead."

Ongoing

The consultation period will continue until at least Thursday, November 3 and will be extended where consultation is still ongoing.

Any decisions will then be subject to approval from full council.

For more information about the measures being proposed to contribute towards the £20m savings target, and to respond to the consultation, visit www.oldham.gov.uk/budget.