Job Cuts

[proactive]

Up to 500 jobs will be shed at Staffordshire County Council as the authority grapples with unexpected cuts of more than £50 million.

Budget proposals approved by the authority’s cabinet reveal the authority, which is planning to freeze council tax, will have to spend more than £9 million of its cash reserves to “achieve a balanced position” in 2011/12.

Around 500 positions — five per cent of the workforce — face the axe as the Stafford-based council reacts to government cuts.

The job cuts apply only to the council, not schools.

Conservative councillor Mark Winnington said many positions will be reduced through natural wastage and the focus will be on limiting the number of compulsory redundancies.

Scrutiny of the non-ringfenced grant money the council expects to receive has revealed deeper cuts than first thought.

The council was told to expect a funding cut of 1.96 per cent in April, but additional grant reductions mean the real terms cut will be about £25.2 million less.

http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2011/01/20/500-jobs-to-go-at-staffordshire-county-council/

Not good news for the individuals concerned or the local economy

 

[My Name is URL]

Makes me laugh (although not really) that as soon as budgets are cut... the immediate answer is redundancies... not stop wasting cash on hair brained schemes and fat cat perks... make the real workers redundant.

 

[Hetairoi]

Makes me laugh (although not really) that as soon as budgets are cut... the immediate answer is redundancies... not stop wasting cash on hair brained schemes and fat cat perks... make the real workers redundant.

It's all well and good saying that the job cuts will be achieved by natural wastage (very unpleasant term) but what they fail to mention is that it means 500 people currently unemployed won't be taken on to cover those who have left so the effect is the same.

Wasn't it only a couple of weeks ago that the leader of the council was being smug about the fact that they already planned their cuts even before it was announced that there were to be any cuts!

 

[John Marwood]

Each individual will value a service higher,lower, hairbrained or other according to their needs or the needs of those around them

The saddest part of all is the fact that those without a voice, those whos services arent sexy or are.hardest to understand will suffer the most

 

[dylanf]

I have no sympathy for puclic sector employees except for tech that is

 

[Jenksie]

I have no sympathy for puclic sector employees except for tech that is

Why?

 

[tek-monkey]

Cheers fella!

My job looks pretty safe at present, but thats only looking at the next few months. To think I left the private sector just before all this hit the fan, possibly not my wisest move!

EDIT: Actually thats rubbish, I get paid more here and I can walk to work - no more bloody commuting. Thats my biggest proviso for a job, that I can get there without messing about with public transport of the motorbike.

 

[Hetairoi]

I have no sympathy for puclic sector employees except for tech that is

I know what you mean, the public sector have had it easy in the past but I do feel sorry for anyone losing their job.

It's not just those losing their jobs it's also the hundreds of jobs that are not being replaced when they become vacant, a double whammy!

 

[tek-monkey]

I don't get this whole 'having it easy' thing, you do realise public sector workers are paid less than their private sector counterparts? While I admit the workload is sometimes less the pay reflects that, nobody who wants to be rich would work in the public sector!

 

[db]

I don't get this whole 'having it easy' thing, you do realise public sector workers are paid less than their private sector counterparts?

er, i guess it depends what sector of the public sector one works in then.. i get paid way more than i would to do the same job in the private realm.. i still check job sites and stuff every day, just out of interest, and every single time a job similar to mine pops up it's at least £3k less.. not to mention the 32 days holiday i get (on top of the days off i get cos we're closed all over xmas).. plus you have to bear in mind that the public sector is so unionised that you don't actually have to do any work when you're at work, because they're scared to enforce any rules for fear of the union having a go..

please note, i know this sounds like bragging but that's really not my intent.. i sympathise with all those saying the public sector has it easy, and i know because i ruddy work in it! to see people marching in the streets moaning because they're not getting a pay rise is ridiculous..

While I admit the workload is sometimes less the pay reflects that, nobody who wants to be rich would work in the public sector!

yeah, that newsletter article recently which showed how much the top earners in various sectors opened my eyes.. the vice chancellor of the university must struggle to get by on her more than £250k..

 

[shoes]

I don't get this whole 'having it easy' thing, you do realise public sector workers are paid less than their private sector counterparts? While I admit the workload is sometimes less the pay reflects that, nobody who wants to be rich would work in the public sector!

Sorry mate but you're incorrect on the whole there. Two of the people work with used to work at SBC, home at 4 on a friday, long lunches, weeks and weeks of holiday, 37 hour week is considered full time (I cannot remember the last time I worked a week that short), pretty much unstoppable unions, more PC nonsense than you can shake a stick at. Not long ago we had a big discussion about it, as one of them defends the conditions, the other agrees that they're way too easy. Suffice to say the former is pretty much useless at everything and should have stayed at SBC.

 

[CreamCake]

We need to get rid of the managers not the front line staff but I dont expect that will happen.

 

[henryscat]

Sorry mate but you're incorrect on the whole there. Two of the people work with used to work at SBC, home at 4 on a friday, long lunches, weeks and weeks of holiday, 37 hour week is considered full time (I cannot remember the last time I worked a week that short), pretty much unstoppable unions, more PC nonsense than you can shake a stick at.

The Daily Mail tinted glasses are out again...

The UK is one of the few nations bonkers enough to think that working long hours deserves some kind of medal, there isnt anything macho about it. Other than ASLEF and RMT who largely represent private sector employees I don't think there are any other unions that demonstrate a great deal of clout.

 

[henryscat]

My job looks pretty safe at present, but thats only looking at the next few months. To think I left the private sector just before all this hit the fan, possibly not my wisest move!

The public sector spends most of its money in the private sector, so as the cuts really start, large swathes of the private sector are going to be hit too.

 

[John Marwood]

My job looks pretty safe at present, but thats only looking at the next few months. To think I left the private sector just before all this hit the fan, possibly not my wisest move!

The public sector spends most of its money in the private sector, so as the cuts really start, large swathes of the private sector are going to be hit too.

Correct

 

[John Marwood]

We need to get rid of the managers not the front line staff but I dont expect that will happen.

Front line staff

There is no line

 

[proactive]

Does it really matter whether a job is lost in the private or the public sector? For the person losing their job and their family it's dreadful, whatever the job was and the bottom line is that for every job lost there's less money to be spent in the local economy which means we all suffer in the long run.

 

[Jenksie]

My job looks pretty safe at present, but thats only looking at the next few months. To think I left the private sector just before all this hit the fan, possibly not my wisest move!

The public sector spends most of its money in the private sector, so as the cuts really start, large swathes of the private sector are going to be hit too.

Correct

Well said those men. Key point which the Daily Mail types always fail to make.

The other one being that you get rid of say 1500 jobs in Liverpool and then pay for them to be employed again via a contractor who sticks on 30% for there cut.

It's all about moving the pension liability. Work still needs to be done. Bins need to be emptied. Ambulances driven.

TAX payer still foots the bill.

 

[shoes]

Yes, I'm worried about the future also. My company relies on the public sector currently (although we can survive on the private sector it's not quite the playboy lifestyle!) and we're doing a lot to redress the balance because as the current boom of public spending comes to an end (my industry follows 12-24 months behind economic and spending trends) then we will have to have gained a lot of commercial work in order to survive.

 

[henryscat]

and the bottom line is that for every job lost there's less money to be spent in the local economy which means we all suffer in the long run.

Stafford has one of the highest rates of public sector employment in the country (over 40% iirc), so the local economy - especially the town centre - will definitely suffer if a lot if jobs are lost.