Council to press on with cuts to perks to save £600k

Calderdale Council wants to remove the lump sum payment for essential car users, reduce salary protection following redeployment and remove the personal telephone allowance.

Savings are also being sought by offering staff the right to request sabbatical leave, the chance to work fewer hours and the option to purchase additional annual leave.

The changes have cross-party approval but talks with unions are still going on.

A council spokeswoman said that in order to introduce the changes the authority needed a collective agreement with unions.

But if an agreement can’t be reached, the authority said it would consult with individual members of staff who will be asked to agree to the changes.

Yesterday Councillor Bryan Smith, Cabinet member for business improvement and resources, said: “We have to reduce our employee costs by £600,000.

“We’ve been discussing the proposals with our staff and the trade unions to work together to find a solution.

“We’ve listened and made changes to our original proposals, where we can.

“We are working hard to make these reductions without the need for significant job losses and we are determined to make sure that we protect our essential services.

“If we aren’t able to reach an agreement with staff, or the trade unions, then we will have to offer all staff a contract with the new terms and conditions.

“We are hoping that this will not be necessary as it really is the last resort. The package we are offering provides many benefits for staff and for the council, not least of which is to make sure that we can balance the budget.”