Council could cut up to 350 jobs

Nottingham City Council could cut up to 350 jobs in a bid to save £12m and help make up a budget deficit.

The council, which faces a £20m budget shortfall, said rising costs and falling income meant it was impossible to save money without cutting jobs.

A reduction of 350 full-time posts, which could affect up to 400 employees, is being discussed by managers.

Proposals are being drawn up and will be presented to the Executive Board in February and full council in March.

'Additional costs'

Councillor Jon Collins, leader of Nottingham City Council, said: "As we are unwilling to add to residents' financial pressures and want to keep council tax at around the rate of inflation, this is unfortunately the only way of balancing the council's budget."

Deputy leader Graham Chapman said: "We rely very much on income from car-parking, income from land sales, income from rents...

"We've also got a lot of additional costs. Child protection is going through the roof, people are being very cautious about referring children to care.

"And we're also having to put a lot of money into elderly people's homes."

But Unison's head of local government in the East Midlands Ravi Subramanian said he was stunned by the news.

He said: "No reasons have been given to the union at all for why these job losses have occurred.

"All we've been told is that it's £12m and we've been given no detail on the budgets at all and that's really frankly appalling.

"We're going to be making a request to the council to have a look at their books, have a look at their budget to identify exactly why these cuts are being made."

It has not yet been announced in which departments the cuts will be made.

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