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Town halls slash more than 1,000 council jobs
Katharine Barney and Ellen Widdup29 Jan 2009
MORE than 1,000 council staff in the capital have been made redundant or face losing their jobs.
The Evening Standard has learned that some 575 employees have been let go in the past six months. At least 700 more posts are to disappear this year.
Councils say cutbacks are to improve efficiency and compensate for money lost in the Icelandic banking crisis. They add they have lost out because of low level government funding, partly due to inaccurate population estimates.
The expected saving from these job losses is expected to be at least £66million by 2011.
A spokesman for London Councils, which represents the 32 boroughs, said: "We have repeatedly warned that the Government's latest funding settlement - which amounted to a real-term cut in funding - would force the capital's local authorities into making some tough decisions."
But bosses at union Unison hit out at the cuts and said council services were more in demand during the credit crisis. A spokeswoman said: "We have been noticing losses and it's madness at a time like this when people need council workers for advice on employment, housing and debt. We have got an ageing population and more people are needed to work in social care."
Newham got rid of a total of 141 staff over one year and planned to save £53million in the next two years.
A spokeswoman for the council said: "There are no plans to cut any major services to meet financial targets."
Ealing has made six redundancies in the past six months but is planning 48 job cuts, which could hit library services the hardest. A total of 26 library staff are expected to be axed from 149, saving £1.21million over the next year. The regeneration and housing department will lose 10 posts to save £890,000, and six jobs will go in children's services.
In Lambeth, 67 employees have been shed in six months - 64 voluntarily and three who were forced to leave. The staff were youth workers, customer service assistants and finance workers.Hammersmith and Fulham has lost 566 posts over two years, not all redundancies, cutting costs by £4million.
Reader views (14)
Traffic wardens play a very important role - why do people always have to villify them?
If they didn't keep cars from parking on yellow lines how would the emergency services or large vehicles get through? There would be outrage if a child died in a burning building because selfishly parked cars prevented a fire engine or ambulance getting through. Traffic Wardens deserve our praise and support not constant sniping.
- Thomas, London, 30/01/2009 10:04
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If the government gave half as much to the local councils in London and the South East rather than propping up their 'banana republics' in the north these job cuts would not be happening.
- Richie, Surrey, 29/01/2009 22:15
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Sack the traffic warden pests! Save money.
- Tony ,Essex, Harlow,UK, 29/01/2009 16:17
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I doubt that any of the very highly paid top brass will be effected. It will be a few lollipop staff here and some tea ladies there. The Chiefs will continue to keep their noses well buried in the public cash trough and look forward to retirement on their gold plated pensions.
- Charles, Stanmore. London, 29/01/2009 15:52
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no 5 a day translation warden enforcers sacked though! and Newham saving £53million by getting rid of 141 staff? This equals an average salary of almost £380,000 per person - surely this cannot be correct? If so, no wonder Newham are in deep financial trouble!
- Gary, amersham, 29/01/2009 14:44
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Job losses may be unavoidable in circumstances where some Councils have had now worthless funds in Icelandic financial institutions. I suppose investing in Britain instead would have been a revolutionary idea, would it?
Services will survive in some form but loss of jobs in the likes of children's services and libraries—and consider the many functions and users of each such service—will reduce those services just as wider society suffers the likely consequences.
- Peter, London W11, 29/01/2009 14:40
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Don't get too carried away by this apparently common sense reduction in Council workforce.
Let's see if they are real job cuts, reflected in Lower Tax, or just spin, like.....'The Council have axed over 200 jobs (THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN CREATED) - but won't reduce Tax or the headcount at all.
- Cap, London, 29/01/2009 14:38
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Ealing is cutting library jobs. Why not cut useless jobs like "Five a Day Advisers". The Toronto Star had a story about Canadians working in London councils. One was quoted as saying said she couldn't dream of earning as much money back home in Canada. And Canada is a relatively high wage country. So what does that tell you the waste of council charge payers' money? It's interesting to hear these characters in totally unproductive jobs warning that services to the old will suffer as a way of influencing the argument. Bull! It's the useless services that should go!!!
- Js, london, 29/01/2009 14:03
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Well, it's a start...
- Nobby Clark, Perth, the Scottish one, 29/01/2009 14:01
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Here's hoping that none of you below lose your jobs eh - ever heard of karma?
- Ian, London, 29/01/2009 13:57
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Sad statement of fact, but will any of us notice anyway ?
Surely they can get rid of 10,000 not just 1,000 as well.
- Daisy Jones, London, 29/01/2009 11:35
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Only 1000 ?
I'd have thought they could have culled a lot more than this.
And it wont be to safeguard any services, it will be to protect the pension pots of staff.
- P Staker, London, 29/01/2009 10:52
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The question is, will anyone even notice the difference in service?
- Bob, Cheam, 29/01/2009 10:51
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While I am very sorry for those who will lose thier jobs, the Public Sector has got far to large, both in terms of overall cost and numbers for te UK economy to support.
- Jeremy E, London, 29/01/2009 09:59
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