More than 150 Brighton council jobs under threat (From The Argus)
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More than 150 Brighton council jobs under threat
4:35pm Wednesday 2nd December 2009 in
More than 150 jobs could be cut as a council attempts to save almost £8 million.
Brighton and Hove City Council has announced proposals to slash positions in all departments in its budget for next year.
A total of 160 posts are earmarked to go and more could be added, with the Children and Young People's Trust responsible for schools and youth social care yet to announce how it will find £1.9 million in savings.
At present the adult social care department is worst affected with 51 positions under threat followed by the culture and enterprise directorate, where 34 jobs will go.
The council's Conservative leaders announced the budget saying the moves were necessary in a package of "efficiency savings" designed to deliver their election promise of a record low tax increase of 2.5%.
Council leader Mary Mears said: "We understand the pressures many of the city’s residents are under at the moment and that is why we have responded by proposing the city’s lowest ever council tax increase.
“Imposing tight limits on our spending and a laser-like focus on delivering value for money have enabled us to balance the books without hitting the council taxpayer in the pocket."
Speaking from Lisbon, where she was yesterday on a cruise holiday, Coun Mears added that the cuts were in line with previous years and predicted the number of redundancies would be lower than initial forecasts because some would find other jobs within the council.
She said: "Having to lay off any staff is always a difficult decision."
Comments(16)
Darling2
says...
6:09pm Wed 2 Dec 09
Boris D
says...
7:24pm Wed 2 Dec 09
oh dear
says...
10:21pm Wed 2 Dec 09
bowwow
says...
10:24pm Wed 2 Dec 09
Billys back
says...
10:27pm Wed 2 Dec 09
Cuts...here we are full circle its 1980 again...this is just the start...just the start - this is just tinkering at the edges ..there's more to come!
DoWeHavTo
says...
10:55pm Wed 2 Dec 09
Way to go Brighton Council - hit the people in society who are least able to defend themselves.
Andy R
says...
10:58pm Wed 2 Dec 09
DoWeHavTo wrote:They're Tories....it's in the blood.
Adult Social Care = Vulnerable Old People with dementia, Alzheimers etc Way to go Brighton Council - hit the people in society who are least able to defend themselves.
jsuk2000
says...
9:43am Thu 3 Dec 09
brightonneil
says...
11:09am Thu 3 Dec 09
davyboy wrote:Although i am a socialist and have never voted for Mary Mears i know her in a business capacity and as far as i am aware this is the first foreign holiday(apart from staying with her family in Ireland)that she has had for many years so i believe that comments like Davyboy's, a good local lad obviously , serve no purpose. Maybe there is a touch of jealousy there? As for many of the workforce being on low pay i cant wait for all the dustmen to go on strike and be sacked as i would love their job for £22k pa
councillor Mears, wanting to cut spending, can clearly afford a luxury cruise, so lets start at the top, and cut councillors pay! of course not, adult social care and other required departments go first, with top people keeping top salaries and gold plated pensions. why can't they see that this will be a backward step in the long run, and if savings have to be made, then they should start at the top!!! i'm sure many of the workforce would love a cruise, but they can't afford it on their low wages. get your house in order Mrs. Mears, and lead by example!!!!!!
Mr Pickwick
says...
2:20pm Thu 3 Dec 09
On the substantive issue, is anyone seriously sayng that an organisation the size of B&H council couldn't get by with fewer staff? The problem will be that department heads will cut front line staff first, to cause a protest and keep their feifdoms in place. Looks like that's exactly what's happening with the reference to the adult social care department. It's in the back office where they'll find fat - time-servers doing the minimum to meet their contracts. People like Mr Wiseman - and all power to him - are few and far between.
GemyLou
says...
4:27pm Thu 3 Dec 09
Boris D wrote:On which imaginary authority do you have this Boris??
Maybe they could start with the staff at local housing offices, as they get paid alot for not alot, oh and I thought Mary Mears felt more at home in a caravan than a boat
I know many people who work in the Housing Offices who do not get paid a lot by any stretch of the imagination, and work very hard indeed, what do you work as out of interest??
workingmama
says...
5:04pm Thu 3 Dec 09
Have you ever worked in a Housing Office?
The take abuse everyday from people unable to do anything for themselves and who want the government to take care of their every need.
Their salaries are not high at all for the amount of crap they have to put up with.
Maybe you could ask your local Housing Office if you could spend a week there, I think you would be shocked at how hard they do actually work.
PorkBoat
says...
5:17pm Thu 3 Dec 09
Westerner
says...
5:29pm Thu 3 Dec 09
1. The salaries and costs of those at the top must be decreased or at least frozen.
2. There must be an ethos of efficiency and saving across the board. All unnecessary expenditure cut and every cost scrutinised.
But don't hold your breath because it won't happen. There are too many incompetent and overpaid managers.
Baffled o' Brighton
says...
6:24am Sat 5 Dec 09
To my mind, once an administration starts ordering public servant to lie to the public then it has forfeited its mandate to govern..
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davyboy says...
5:43pm Wed 2 Dec 09