Kirklees Council could be set to shed up to a further1,400 jobs.

As well as cutting numbers Kirklees is also planning to change staff working terms and conditions - including taking sickness absence into account when considering staff for redundancy.

The Kirklees branch of the union says Kirklees Council has issued a notice the authority intends to:

-Reduce the consultation period on compulsory redundancies from 90 days to 45 days

-Reduce the period staff can be redeployed from six months to three months

-Introduce the Bradford Formula - a sickness absence calculation as a criteria for assessing staff for redundancy

-Issue compulsory redundancy notices as a matter of course in reviews/restructures

-Cut travel allowances

You can read here what the council and the union think of the plans , but see below for what each of the local political parties makes of the plan.

Views from the parties:

Clr Peter McBride
Clr Peter McBride

Clr Peter McBride, Labour Cabinet member for Place said: “The figure is not exact, but the scale of it is inevitable and we are going to have to make some very difficult decisions.

“It’s a terrible decision to face. None of us came into local government to do this but there is simply no money.

“We’ll be working all summer to work out the budgets and operating framework and look at how we make these difficult decisions.

“We have to make cuts in the order of £45m next year, £60m the year after. We’ve never had to make cuts of that scale before.

“I know council staff will feel terrible. I think we all feel that, but we simply haven’t the money to carry on as we are.”

Asked if Labour will work with the other parties, Clr McBride added: “We will. The problem is someone has to bite the bullet and make the decisions and I think the other parties are going to duck out. I hope we can find a compromise.”

Clr. Robert Light
Clr. Robert Light

Clr Robert Light, Conservative leader , said: “It’s obviously very disappointing. Unfortunately the Labour administration has not embraced what we’ve been warning of for some time and that is they need new ideas and to embrace new ways of working that will save money and jobs.

“They have stuck with the same bureaucratic process. They’ve stuck with in-house services without looking outside of the council to see if they can get better value for money. By blocking one option to look for greater efficiencies you will never find them.

“We should listen to our staff. They know their jobs better than anybody else and if they have ideas for change and improvement then we need to listen to them. Unfortunately KMC believes it knows best.”

Clr Light added: “The Labour administration had five years to bring forward new ways of working, our staff are now paying the consequences.”

Nicola Turner
Nicola Turner

Clr Nicola Turner, Liberal Democrat leader , said: “I am sure Labour will blame the Conservative Lib Dem coalition government, but we could point at Labour who got us into this mess in the first place, but that isn’t what we should be discussing.

“What we need to discuss is what we’re doing right now and how are we going to deal with it.

“We haven’t had a meeting of councillors, the union and staff about how many jobs are to be reduced. We need that meeting.

“We haven’t debated how we’re going to re-shape the council yet.

“I know from talking to staff that they have their own ideas. Some would work a few less hours a week to save jobs.

“There are many things we could be doing before we make these sort of decisions to cut staff by 1,400.

“I feel for our staff. I understand cuts will have to be made but I worry about morale, our staff will be worried about who they will pay their mortgages and put food on the table and the most difficult thing will be to make decisions that impact on staff morale.

“We should meet to talk about this before we set hares running and frighten people.”

Local election count at Cathedral House, Huddersfield - Green Clr, Andrew Cooper
Andrew Cooper

Clr Andrew Cooper, Green Party and Valley Independent leader, said: “As councillors we have to protect as many jobs as possible. This is people’s incomes and livelihoods we’re talking about.

“I’d like to see a four-day week considered so the council retains people with the knowledge and experience we need and it has less of an impact on local services.

“You can’t rip about 1,000-plus out and not impact services and the staff left. We need to work with partner organisations to see if they can help ensure services are retained. And devolution will mean less money has more power to local people who will see how it’s being spent.

“We have been dealt a set of cards by the coalition government and I think a feeble opposition at a national level has left us in this difficult situation.

“We need to work with the unions but it has to be a two-way street. They represent our staff but they also need to understand that change is needed.”

Kirklees Council to cut up to 1,400 jobs - click here to read Joanne Douglas's report .

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