Take cut in hours or face the sack, Hull council workers told

It comes after Hull Council warned it would dismiss and re-engage its 6,733 workforce and re-employ them on inferior terms and conditions - a move strongly condemned by the country’s largest union Unite.

Workers overwhelmingly rejected changes to terms and conditions in a ballot last month.

Coun Phil Webster, who holds the finance portfolio, said while it appeared “a sword of Damocles” was hanging over the workforce, he was proposing a second set of terms and conditions which were “more equitable.”

The proposals include a half hour cut in the working week as well as cuts to weekend and Bank Holiday overtime payments.

Coun Phil Webster said: “Cabinet agreed to a 45-day consultation period with a view to dismissing and re-engaging staff.

“A letter went out yesterday to unions.

“But I moved a proposal should we reach a negotiated settlement within 45 days, that would take precedence.

“The original proposals only affected around 35 to 40 per cent of staff because of the changes to shift allowances and overtime.

“The new proposals takes money off even the highest paid in the authority and is a lot fairer system.”

Unison convenor Nikki Osborne said they would ballot members on the latest proposals: “We are looking at a fresh set of proposals that are more equitable and are different to those we balloted members on, and which were overwhelmingly rejected.

“The biggest saving would be from a reduction in the working week.

“The Unison local government branch has voted to put the proposals to members without a recommendation to accept or reject.

“If they reject, we will ballot for industrial action.”

Unite blamed Communities Secretary Eric Pickles for cuts in funding which it said had forced the council to take “draconian action.”

The council is having to make £48 million in savings over the next two years.

Unite national officer for local authorities Fiona Farmer said: “This draconian action has been forced on the council by the cutbacks in funding masterminded by Eric Pickles, who is attacking communities with deprived populations, while protecting wealthier Tory rural authorities.

“The unfairness of the Conservatives’ ‘we are all in it together’ mantra has been unmasked, yet again, as hypocrisy. It will be the elderly who will be hit by reduced social care – not the bloated ‘fat cats’ in the City of London.

“As Christmas approaches, hard working council staff are fearful for their futures and livelihoods. We need to draw a line in the sand.”

[email protected]