Hundreds of council jobs at risk in plans to slash costs

Hundreds of council staff at a West Yorkshire authority face losing their jobs as part of cost cutting measures.

Kirklees Council’s chief executive Jacqui Gedman emailed employees to say 750 roles were at risk of redundancy.

She said cuts of £47m next year were on the way after a £27m overspend in the last financial year.

Gedman wrote: “It is important to understand that this does not mean that there will definitely be 750 roles made redundant.

“It means that, based on the current budget proposals for 2023/24 and 2024/25, this is a number we feel is appropriate given the financial pressures we face.

“We will, of course, be working with trade union colleagues to do everything we can to avoid compulsory redundancies.”

A Kirklees Council spokesperson, said: “The cost-of-living crisis and ongoing economic challenges have put pressure on council budgets across the country.

“We are already reducing costs across the council but we know further savings will be required over the coming months.

“Our focus will be to try and avoid or reduce the number of compulsory redundancies and support our staff through the changes.

“We will balance that aim with our delivery of key services and ensuring we retain the skills we require to continue to deliver the best services for Kirklees residents.”