Carmarthenshire Council staff reassured
Staff at Carmarthenshire County Council are being reassured that hundreds of compulsory redundancies are not imminent.
It follows media coverage after a letter was sent to all staff in a bid to establish any interest in a change to the way they are working.
This includes a reduction in hours, term-time working, early retirement for those aged 55 and over, and career breaks.
The letter was part of the planning process which the authority is carrying out in order to identify the millions in savings it must make over the next few years.
All councils face the same challenges due to budget cuts expected both from central government and the Welsh Assembly.
The intention of the letter was to give staff the opportunity to express an interest in taking one of the opportunities offered.
It also called on staff to get engaged in the debate and put forward any ideas that they may have to assist in the process.
The council announced some months ago that, along with all other Welsh local authorities, it was facing difficult and challenging financial times ahead.
It was stated that unless changes were made to the way services are delivered up to 500 jobs could be lost.
Members are due to attend a seminar next month to identify ways of making savings, and all scrutiny committees will continue their work to look at more efficient ways of working.
It is hoped that this will achieve the major part of the savings necessary, and that compulsory redundancies will therefore be avoided.
People Management and Performance Executive Board Member Cllr Philip Hughes said: “Losses of 500 jobs are our worst-case scenario, as are large-scale compulsory redundancies.
“I would like to emphasise that no compulsory redundancies are planned for this year, and even in the worst case scenario, it would mean the loss of 160 jobs per year for the following three years, which we believe could be achieved through natural wastage and voluntary reduction of hours or early retirement.
“Our aim is to work with staff to first of all establish whether there is any interest in a change to their working patterns which would generate savings.
“Carmarthenshire, like all other public sector organisations, is facing budget difficulties.
“But we are a forward looking council, and we have two options – either to plan ahead and work with our staff and unions, or wait until we are forced to make changes.
“Our approach is to plan ahead and minimise the impact on our staff and services.”
It follows media coverage after a letter was sent to all staff in a bid to establish any interest in a change to the way they are working.
This includes a reduction in hours, term-time working, early retirement for those aged 55 and over, and career breaks.
The letter was part of the planning process which the authority is carrying out in order to identify the millions in savings it must make over the next few years.
All councils face the same challenges due to budget cuts expected both from central government and the Welsh Assembly.
The intention of the letter was to give staff the opportunity to express an interest in taking one of the opportunities offered.
It also called on staff to get engaged in the debate and put forward any ideas that they may have to assist in the process.
The council announced some months ago that, along with all other Welsh local authorities, it was facing difficult and challenging financial times ahead.
It was stated that unless changes were made to the way services are delivered up to 500 jobs could be lost.
Members are due to attend a seminar next month to identify ways of making savings, and all scrutiny committees will continue their work to look at more efficient ways of working.
It is hoped that this will achieve the major part of the savings necessary, and that compulsory redundancies will therefore be avoided.
People Management and Performance Executive Board Member Cllr Philip Hughes said: “Losses of 500 jobs are our worst-case scenario, as are large-scale compulsory redundancies.
“I would like to emphasise that no compulsory redundancies are planned for this year, and even in the worst case scenario, it would mean the loss of 160 jobs per year for the following three years, which we believe could be achieved through natural wastage and voluntary reduction of hours or early retirement.
“Our aim is to work with staff to first of all establish whether there is any interest in a change to their working patterns which would generate savings.
“Carmarthenshire, like all other public sector organisations, is facing budget difficulties.
“But we are a forward looking council, and we have two options – either to plan ahead and work with our staff and unions, or wait until we are forced to make changes.
“Our approach is to plan ahead and minimise the impact on our staff and services.”
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