Staff 'deeply worried' over council job cuts
BBCUnion officials have said staff will be "deeply worried" about potential job losses proposed by a council.
On Tuesday, Gateshead Council launched a consultation with staff and unions over its plans to cut jobs and make "efficiencies" in a bid to cut £10.6m from its costs.
Unison regional organiser Victoria Murray said she would "explore every alternative to compulsory redundancies, because council employees are the backbone of local services".
The council said it had "identified budget options that protect" services and more details would be provided next month.
Murray said Unison would take "robust steps" to protect jobs and services.
"Such significant cuts inevitably raise fears about job losses and the impact on vital services that local communities depend on," she said.
"The union will press the council to be fully transparent about its plans and to consult meaningfully with staff and Unison."
Funding gap
Gateshead Council said it needed to find ways to plug a funding gap of £20.5m in its medium-term financial plan.
It plans to use £4m in reserves, implement £5.9m of social care interventions and £10.6m of cuts and what it calls "efficiencies".
However, it has not been revealed how many roles, or which jobs, are at risk of redundancy.
A spokesperson said the changes were needed to address "financial challenges" faced by the council.
"Based on our Medium Term Financial Strategy agreed in September and the recent financial settlement, which is in line with our planning assumptions, we have identified budget options that protect service delivery," a council spokesperson said.
"Further details of the savings will be outlined in the budget report to be considered by cabinet and council in February."
