Budget job loss proposal blasted as ‘despicable’ Opposition Tories’amendment heavily criticised

Suggestions that targeted redundancies could be made to balance Stirling Council’s budget have been branded “a slap in the face” to staff.

At last Thursday’s council budget setting meeting, councillors voted to freeze council tax, despite having been asked to note a funding gap of around £28million over the next five years.

Opposition Conservatives, who had welcomed the freeze, proposed scrapping unpopular garden waste bin charges and making savings by removing automatic pay progression and “reprofiling council priorities”.

However their amendment also proposed making savings through “natural wastage or targeted redundancies”.

The SNP/Labour administration slammed the suggestion as an “insult” to staff who had worked throughout the pandemic.

Finance convener Councillor

Margaret Brisley (Lab) called it “totally wrong” and a “slap in the face” to council staff.

Council leader SNP councillor Scott Farmer called the Conservative’s budget “spiteful”, adding: “Our staff right across the board have gone above and beyond their contractual obligations putting - in many places their lives on the line to help our most vulnerable during this Covid outbreak.

“And what do they get from the Tories? Facing cuts to their terms and conditions. This is a despicable proposal.”

Cllr Farmer added: “For ‘targeted redundancies’ read ‘compulsory redundancies’. That really is the Tory mantra of cutting staff, cutting posts and actually this is nothing short of an insult given the sacrifices our staff have made to go above and beyond during this pandemic.”

He said such capacity was “critical” going forward as the council plans its recovery out of the pandemic.

Indepenent councillor Maureen Bennison criticised the Conservative group’s amendment and its proposal for a new pay process to “award incremental progression on the basis of merit.”

She said: “Our staff deserve a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.”

Councillor Brisley presented the SNP/Labour administration’s own budget proposals.

She said the budget proposals

Our staff went above and beyond their contractual obligations...to help our most vulnerable during this Covid outbreak Cllr Scott Farmer

had been submitted prior to any changes announced by the Scottish Government budget, adding: “Trying to set a budget with so many unknowns and variables is not an easy task. Much of it is trying to make the best guess and being prepared to be flexible.

“There is likely to be some further funds being allocated but we have yet to be informed of Stirling’s share officially.”

The budget will also see a revised living wage rate of £9.57 introduced from April 1. The Tories had sought a £10 rate.

The council will also continue to provide financial support to Active Stirling “to underpin the loss of income suffered by the organisation as a result of the pandemic” using Covid income support from the Scottish Government.

The SNP/Labour administration’s budget was carried by 13 votes to nine, including support from Green councillor Alasdair Tollemache and independent councillor Maureen Bennison.