Council staff claim they are being put under pressure to retire early to help ease a looming budget crisis.
Tameside council workers say they are not being given enough time for life-changing decisions as bosses balance the books.
Public sector union Unison said one member of staff was told their job was going – and given a deadline of 24 hours to accept a payoff deal.
Town halls across Greater Manchester face huge public spending cuts as grants from central government are slashed.
Other Greater Manchester councils have announced details of projected savings targets and potential job losses.
But Tameside bosses are waiting for the scale of cuts to be revealed in the Treasury’s spending review on October 20 before it announces its position.
There are fears it could be forced to save between 25 and 40 per cent of its annual budget.
Unison says the council has launched reviews in all departments.
Workers over 55 can meet bosses to discuss early retirement. Voluntary severance for other workers is also being offered. Payments vary depending on days owed in lieu and holidays.
Anne Keighley, secretary of the Tameside branch of the union, urged workers with concerns to seek advice.
She said: “The union is concerned that staff are being put under pressure to make decisions in what are quite short time-scales.
“Some of these people have been at Tameside council for the majority of their working lives.
“Staff are being given deadlines to accept deals and it is likely that this practice would go on at other councils.”
Tameside council said it can’t comment on individual cases.
A spokesman said: “The council does not currently operate a formal severance scheme. We have been through a programme of allowing employees who wish to leave to do so on a voluntary basis.
“This can be through access to the pension scheme or by serving an appropriate notice period.
“Any employee who leaves on this programme can only do so on the basis of an approved financial business case and without there being any detriment to the delivery of services.
“No pressure is put on employees to leave the council – although the council will allow employees to leave at short notice if it is viable to do so.”
Manchester Evening News
9 comments:
That flapping noise isn't pigeons, it's vultures coming home to roost. I wonder how the new Leader and D.E.L.(boy) will handle this.
The phrase "about fucking time" springs to mind. No doubt though that those at the bottom will be first to go - a reduction of bin men and social workers, whilst senior managers protect themselves and their pay. If the Unison lady wants to save a few bob and a job or two along the way, then she could always quit and become a Labour candidate in the local elections, unfortunately for many staff there are only 57 seats up for grabs, so you can only buy the silence of so many people.
fear not weakhearts - i will swing the cost cutting axe with vigour
The public sector my as well give up. Cam's cuts are catching up. TMBC have had it good for far too long. Welcome to the real world.
Great News.
Its about time but i dont like to see anybody lose there job so why dont that slash wages across the board and take more off the high earners
Privatise virtually all public services and pay real world wages. Why should council tax payers subsidise cushy numbers?
As for African drumming etc, SCRAP THE LOT.
We all know Public Sector jobs are bought Labour votes that is why they flooded it.
When the 2 biggest employers in an area is the state with Tameside Council and the NHS as the top 2 no wonder we are in so much debt. The private sector pays the wages of the public sector it is public money wasted on none jobs and it is right that they are cut. I've been told off a friend who works for the Greater Manchester Pension Fund that the percentage of people who have been doing the same job but changed job titles in the past 5 years is phenominal and they have doubled their wages just by doing the same job. It is wrong and can't carry on!
you all go on abut council workers being paid well think again they are just above minimum wage (front line staff).
you say about time for the cuts but you all want the same level of service with less staff who are getting less pay THINK AGAIN.
lets see who starts to complain when bins arent emptyed streets not cleaned etc.
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