Telford & Wrekin told to rethink cuts

Bosses at Telford & Wrekin Council were today told to think again about how to fill the funding black hole which could see more than 500 jobs lost.

Unison, which represents the majority of authority staff, claims the council's budget proposals would also see services cut to vulnerable groups in the community.

The council's Tory rulers have put forward a package of cuts, including the possible loss of 540 jobs.

They aim to slash £25 million from its spending over the next four years.

It comes as the union also vowed to legally challenge plans by Shropshire Council to make sweeping changes to the terms and conditions of its workers.

Shropshire Council says the move will save the authority £7 million over the next three years and the alternative would be to make hundreds of workers redundant.

Proposed changes include a cut in the working week from 37 to 35 hours and a reduction in sick pay entitlement.

Now Unison has called on Telford & Wrekin's spending chiefs not to make such harsh cuts but to use reserves and balances instead, including £12 million it claims was set aside to fund equal pay requirements.

Jonathan Sedgebeer, branch secretary of Telford Unison, said: "There is nothing efficient about providing worse services with fewer staff, while spending millions putting people on the dole."

But Telford & Wrekin Council leader Andrew Eade said the authority was already using more than £9 million in balances and one-off savings.

He added: "The union proposals to stop work on savings reviews would not only expose the council to financial instability but is also in part illegal.

"This would put far more services and staff in jeopardy and we have explained this at length to the unions."

Meanwhile, the first details of £362,000 cuts by Telford & Wrekin to its public transport budget came to light today.

The Campaign for Better Transport claims it would close the ring-and-ride Twister service and limit free bus travel.

By Simon Hardy and Danny Carden