Councillor calls for honesty around potential job cuts
A war of words has broken out between North Ayrshire councillors over potential jobs losses, with a Labour councillor calling for honesty from the SNP and describing the cuts as “devastating for the local area”.
Labour chiefs are urging the SNP administration to be open about its plans for the workforce at North Ayrshire Council over the coming year. According to them, the SNP budget, supported by the Tories and passed in March, included a £4 million jobs cuts fund.
Councillor Robert Foster sought to get clarity on exactly how many staff the council is planning to cut under the scheme from cabinet member for finance and procurement Christina Larsen during questions at a full council meeting.
The Irvine Labour member asked about a private paper which went to the council’s staffing and recruitment committee on Tuesday March 28. The committee is chaired by council leader Marie Burns and referred to a target number of jobs to be cut.
Councillor Foster said Councillor Larsen claimed not to know the figure nor anything about the paper to which he was referring.
Speaking after the meeting, Councillor Foster called on the SNP to be honest with the public and said: “I have seen the private paper, marked as confidential, that went to the staffing committee on Tuesday which sets a target on how many jobs the SNP administration intends to cut using its jobs cut fund.
“That committee is chaired by the SNP leader of the council so either the cabinet member who has responsibility for the council budget and all HR functions wasn’t telling the truth when they said they didn’t know the answer, or the leader of the council hasn’t bothered to share the paper or information with the cabinet member in charge of it.
“Whatever their motives for keeping the public and council staff in the dark over their plans, the impact of it will be devastating for the area.
“The SNP’s jobs cut fund will harm the local economy, cut jobs and remove future employment opportunities by not replacing them. It’s time they took responsibility for their decisions and were open with the public.”
However, Councillor Larsen has hit back at the accusations. She said: “Councillor Foster is well aware of the impact of 13 years of Tory austerity on public sector finances. Devolution alone doesn’t protect Scotland from this and the impact can be seen across the UK, including in Labourrun Wales.
“The SNP government in Scotland has been doing everything it can to mitigate against Tory cuts. Indeed, the only reason the North Ayrshire Council workforce grew under the previous Labour administration is because the SNP Scottish Government supported additional jobs in early years provision.
“Our workforce planning budget is something the council has always had and allows us to redesign our services. We will ensure staff are kept informed and supported during any review process.”