New contracts 'could salvage 400 Hull City Council jobs'
CITY council leader Steve Brady says agreement over plans to change terms and conditions of staff at the authority could save up to 400 jobs.
Talks between unions officials and senior council managers over the proposals started before Christmas.
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SIGNIFICANT CHANGES: Hull City Council leader Steve Brady.
Under the plans, the council would save about £7m a year by slashing overtime and reducing mileage rates.
The authority is facing a £13m cut in Government funding for the coming year.
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At a full council meeting, Councillor Brady said striking a deal over terms and conditions would be crucial to easing the impact of the funding cut.
"We are looking to save about 350 to 400 jobs if the new terms and conditions can be agreed," he said.
"Because of what is happening to our funding, I hope our staff will see the sense in remaining in work with changed conditions rather than losing their jobs."
Among the proposals is a reduction in the current 65p mileage rate for staff – 20p higher than rate recommended by HM Revenues and Customs.
Cllr Brady admitted the rate was one of the highest at any council in the country.
"How can we have people driving around on a mileage rate which is even higher than the one which the unions offer to their own employees?"
He said the scale of the cuts facing the council made a nonsense of claims by communities secretary Eric Pickles that his funding settlement for local councils was a fair one.
"We are looking to make sure we have got a local authority that can still function properly and can still do the job of looking after the city.
"However, we have seen a 33 per cent reduction in funding since we came to power.
"Over the next year, there will have to be significant changes in the council structure and we will continue work towards that goal."
He also predicted looming welfare reforms due to be introduced from April would create widespread hardship for low-income households.
Nearly 25,000 households will start paying council tax for the first time while about 5,000 people will see a reduction in allowance payments because they have spare bedrooms under changes to the housing benefit regime.
Cllr Brady said: "I think people are just waking up to what is coming in April and the misery it is going to cause.
"We have not got smaller houses for people to downsize into and where will they get this money from, God only knows."
Opposition Lib Dem leader Councillor Abi Bell accused the ruling Labour group of dragging its heels over publishing details of its budget proposals for the coming year.
She said there was a suspicion it was a delaying tactic.
Comments
by fredflinty
Saturday, January 19 2013, 1:59PM
“Spragger, You can't just cut pay by 25%,
1, pay for local authorities is done by national agreement
2, It would put a lot of the workers under the minimum wage.
3, If someone was on £50k they would drop to £37.5k (still £700 per week)
4, If someone was on £12k they would drop to £9k (only £180 per week)
5, Fair? I think not.”
by bulldog60
Saturday, January 19 2013, 10:56AM
“we have never had good times under this labour council”
by g7viz
Saturday, January 19 2013, 5:58AM
“The last Labour government spent all of the money. This means that the public sector has got to become very lean and only provide efficient core services - its called right sizing. You might not like it but you cannot spend what has not been earned. And yes, the private sector has to earn the money before Hull City Council can spend it! The next few years are going to take some adjusting to in Hull; the good times are over!”
by bulldog60
Friday, January 18 2013, 7:09PM
“beckster07------ well said”
by beckster07
Friday, January 18 2013, 6:09PM
“why dont you stop paying sick pay most of them stay off knowing they are not going to loose any money that will save you a fortune i know for a fact!!get rid of 50% of the council workers and make the other 50% actually work! on another note mr brady you should tape yourself on the radio and listen to it was listening to you today and you seriously need lessons on how to conduct yourself at an interview if you are the so called council leader i pity us!!!!”
by localvoice
Friday, January 18 2013, 4:06PM
“Abi Bell please tell us in Hull who are the Coalition Government that is making all these cuts
1 Ukip
2 Labour
3 English league
4 The Conservatives on their own
5 The Liberal Democrats
6 The Coalition of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats
If you all guessed nimber 6 then you all know who is attacking our City and our services along with all the other cuts made to satisfy the bankers.
Now Abi which party do you support and vote for Come on be brave and not a coward like Clegg”
by KiminHull
Friday, January 18 2013, 2:54PM
“All this and the Fib Dems voted with the Tories to give millionaires a tax break... astounding!”
by mickey_luv3
Friday, January 18 2013, 2:52PM
“@Exoskeletion
If those of us who are actually generating money keep losing our jobs, where is this money going to come from to keep funding the public sector?”
by bulldog60
Friday, January 18 2013, 2:35PM
“so steve brady thinks the claims are "nonesence" ,so I guess hes talking about himself then another spent politician with no future ,time to go mr brady better still get lost now oh and take your aircraft carrier with you "muppett"”
by spragger
Friday, January 18 2013, 2:04PM
“They should have done an across the board 15% wage cut sometime ago
Its a no brainer
Why does everything take so long?
Taxpayer first, in all matters”