LABOUR REFUSE TO RULE OUT COUNCIL JOB CUTS

12.00.00pm GMT Wed 9th Dec 2009

In answer to questions put by Lib Dem Councillor Carol Woods at today's full Council meeting at County Hall, Labour bosses have refused to rule out huge front-line job cuts.

At today's meeting Carol Woods pressed the Labour leaders to give cast-iron assurances that no cuts to jobs or front-line services would result from the £60 million black hole recently uncovered in the Council's finances. A key part of the Council's Unitary bid was the protection of services and jobs. Carol today sought a firm commitment from Council bosses on this issue. However, Labour Councillors refused to provide any guarantees over jobs.

Carol Woods said, "The budget shortfall equates to around 3000 jobs. So far the Council have refused to answer our questions on how they plan to make up this huge deficit and I hoped they would publicly commit to safeguarding front-line jobs. The new Council has already broken its promise to lower council tax so we must keep up the pressure to ensure the same does not happen on jobs.

With unemployment doubling in Durham in the last year, the last thing people need is more insecurity. That is why I pressed them for guarantees today. Uncertainty amongst staff has been ongoing for many months and the Council need to come forward and rule out compulsory redundancies. I am concerned that they refused to do so today."

Carol also asked the Labour leaders to explain why the costs of the new Council are £6.5 million higher than expected.

She said, "The savings from reducing to a single Council are £3million short of original estimates and, at the same time, the transitional costs will be £3.5million more than expected. It is clear that the people of Durham were right to reject this new Council setup. The Labour propaganda beforehand tried to convince people that it would be cheaper and better, that it would safeguard jobs and lower Council tax. Local residents saw through that in the referendum on the issue. They were ignored but have been proved right. It is now our job to hold these people to account."