Jobs could go under council cuts

The council leader said there was no alternative but to cut jobs and services

Up to 60 posts and some concessionary travel funding could be cut under plans to help Worcester City Council fill a multi-million pound budget gap.

The cabinet met earlier to decide how to make the �4.3m savings over five years which independent consultants Mouchel advised them to do in October.

They proposed cutting up to 84 posts by 2010 including 30 current vacancies which they did not plan to fill.

They also proposed giving less money to subsidise pensioners' bus fares.

The council said consultations had started with unions and those at risk of redundancy.

It said the proposed job losses would affect back office staff and senior management, potentially saving up �1.7m and �360,000 respectively, by 2012.

'Challenging times'

It proposed a review of its IT, human resources, business support, property services and legal services departments with a view to restructuring and possibly sharing some functions with Worcestershire County Council.

Cabinet members also considered ways to increase the council's income, such as charging for a new green waste collection as well as increasing cemetery and cremation charges.

It said it would also continue to lobby central government to reduce its contributions to the national concessionary travel scheme for pensioners' bus fares, which it estimated was costing the council �750,000 per year.

It also proposed raising its share of the council tax by 4.9%.

Council leader Simon Geraghty said "these are challenging times" but despite making efficiency savings in previous years there was now "no alternative but to make changes that will affect jobs and services".

He blamed the council's funding gap on consecutive years of under funding from central government, as well as new financial obligations like the national concessionary travel schemes, and the rising cost of providing council services.

The proposals are due to be scrutinised at council meeting on Monday and the final budget will be agreed in February 2009.