Anger over council plan to axe 800 jobs

UNION leaders are to consult workers after bosses at one Scottish council put forward plans to make hundreds of workers redundant and cut terms and conditions for other employees.

The GMB is to consult 800 of its members who are employed at Falkirk Council about the proposals, part of the local authority’s efforts to save £25 million in 2016/17.

The council said it had already made savings of more than £83m over the last nine years but added that the cuts being considered for this year and next could lead to the equivalent of 430 full-time job losses.

GMB Scotland organiser Christina Lambie said: “This is a very difficult time for the workforce in Falkirk Council.

“Last year there was a loss of 100 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs. This year there will be the loss of a further 330 FTE jobs as well as the proposal to cut the terms-and-conditions package of our members by £1.5 million.”

She added: “This is the reality for workers from the budget set by the Scottish Government. We see jobs lost and terms and conditions under attack. This will also have a negative impact on the services delivered.

“The outcome of the consultation is unpredictable as for the first time the workforce are being asked to reduce their income, and in these difficult times we don’t know if our members are up for that, but the consultations will tell us what members wish to do.”

A spokesman for Falkirk Council said the authority had “worked for many months with trade unions to develop a package which will help the council achieve the necessary savings”.

He added: “All reductions so far have been achieved through voluntary methods.

“The council will continue to work with employees and trade unions to achieve the required reductions on a voluntary basis and aims to avoid compulsory redundancies as far as possible.”