Funding squeeze could see more job cuts at Hull and East Riding councils
THE leaders of the region's two main councils say a continued squeeze on public funding will inevitably lead to more budget cuts and further job losses.
An estimated 170 posts are at risk of redundancy at East Riding Council over the next two years.
At the same time, a programme initially aimed at delivering £14 million of annual savings at the authority is being accelerated with a revised target of saving £22 million a year until 2015.
In Hull, city council leader Steve Brady has predicted the authority's overall budget will have been slashed by 40 per cent over the lifetime of the current parliament.
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East Riding leader Councillor Steven Parnaby said he expected the number of redundancies would be far fewer than the 170 posts currently identified.
He said: "I anticipate this number will be substantially reduced through the continued operation of the council's redeployment policies. I want to emphasise there are no additional redundancies being contemplated."
Mr Parnaby said a similar exercise carried out over the past two years involving 140 posts had ended up with 47 eventually being declared redundant.
He said: "Ten of those were employed on fixed-term contracts and a further 47 employees, who would otherwise have lost their jobs, were redeployed elsewhere in the council, which is a great achievement.
"This is in sharp contrast to many other councils locally and nationally."
He said the East Riding was not being treated differently to other councils but was working hard to keep actual job losses and any impact on frontline services to a minimum.
Mr Parnaby said: "The council has been planning for the public expenditure cuts from the beginning of 2009 with the elimination of non-essential spending, cutting costs and through vacancy management.
"This approach has achieved significant budget underspends, which have been used to provide headroom to cushion the impact of future budget cuts and to provide time for the council's business transformation programme and service reviews to be implemented."
He said budget underspends would continue to be used to ease financial pressure on services such as adult care and highways.
Mr Parnaby also praised staff at the authority, many of whom have not had a pay increase for three years.
"We are all in this together in the East Riding – members and officers working together to protect services that our residents and communities demand and deserve," he said.
Comments
by killercbrn
Sunday, June 24 2012, 4:29PM
“Just a quick question, what is the amount currently outstanding in unpaid council tax? I suspect it would be enough to keep some of the lower level workers in work for a bit longer, especially if you weed out some of overpaid, unnecessary upper management.”
by IDoknowbest
Sunday, June 24 2012, 2:18PM
“The point about the number of councillors and executive officers is wholely correct when similar sized organisations manage with far fewer. It does go further though as I remember reading on here a while ago about the very high salary being paid to the South Cave parish council clerk and the assistant.Add this to the hundreds of thousands paid to parish councils who essentially do what? (rhetorical question)and serious cost saving options begin to appear.
Maybe the best plan is eradicate the utterly un necessary levels at the bottom first and cause the head to fall.”
by AstonomiaSK
Sunday, June 24 2012, 1:17PM
“We don;t need all those counciloors in the wards. One not three are needed in Driffield so sack the other two. Roll that across the East Riding and we will save millions on expenses and disbursments. Half the Cheif Exec's £120K + salary and claw back Sue Lockwoods £365,000 pension payoff, now we are making savings!”
by Defarge
Saturday, June 23 2012, 4:32PM
“Unfortunately, Basinga_Punk, 'Fatso Parnaby and the rest of his corrupt cronies' continue to be returned to County Hall - and when the people of the East Riding were offered a golden opportunity several years ago to remove them, or at least to bring them under control, they just didn't take it.”
by Bazinga_Punk
Saturday, June 23 2012, 1:35PM
“Councillor Parnaby is talking utter cr*p!!! As one of the people made redundant by ERYC I can confirm that they offer zero help to the people that they are making redundant. What they do is send you a list of utter unsuitable positions that you can apply for, but then not be offered them as you had no experience in those areas! Beyond a joke!
As a professional person with years of experience in my skilled role I was been sent jobs as school dinnertime staff and gardening jobs - which i wouldnt have got as i have no experience!
And before everyone pulls me apart, I found myself a job in the private sector, earning more money and been respected for the skills i bring to the job, unlike how people are treat in local authority positions.
Fatso Parnaby and the rest of his corrupt cronies really ought to just keep their mouths shut on these issues - their PR is as see through as the combeover he uses to cover his bald patch!”