Times - councils are shedding jobs.

tomstickland

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5512651.ece

Council officials admit that the scale of the cuts is much higher than any measures taken over the past decade. They blame a series of factors, in particular the collapse of the housing market. Fees from property developers have fallen dramatically. Fees from land searches and domestic planning applications have also dried up.

1echidna

My council have increased the cost of 20min at a street meter from 20p to 80p.

jayritchie_2

tomstickland wrote: »

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5512651.ece

Next time they get an actuaries report for pension contributions most councils are going to have to make significant extra payments unless the stock market rises significantly or bond yields improve. I'm not sure that in the current environment tax rises are going to be popular, especially when Joe Public realises that they are paying for other people to have pension funds they could only dream of.

The_White_Horse

good. about time too.

the only shame is that they won't go far enough. how many street football co-ordinators and food champions will get the boot?

stupid non-job employing councils. get slashing. at least 50% could go and the general public wouldn't even notice.

wasters.

Generali

Well this is what's happenign on the other side of the Irish Sea:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2009/0113/1231738221174.html

THE MAJORITY of the €2 billion that must be cut from exchequer spending this year will have to come from pay cuts for civil and public servants, unions will be told by the Government next week.
Meanwhile, a public service union leader has warned members that the International Monetary Fund could be brought in if the Government cannot cut borrowing and bring the State’s finances back under control.
“The IMF’s normal prescription in such situations involves mass dismissals from the public service (without compensation) and pay cuts for the remainder, along with cuts in pensions,” said Public Service Executive Union general secretary Dan Murphy.

To paraprase, 'if you don't take a pay cut the IMF will sack you, says union boss'

socrates

I know for a fact that the Rent Officer departments are disappearing around the country since the introduction of Local Housing Allowance in April 2008

Airwolf1

Looks like I left my old place of employment at the right time (a council!).

dopester

Generali wrote: »

To paraprase, 'if you don't take a pay cut the IMF will sack you, says union boss'

Has to be that way. Pay-cuts. It is just hard for people who were counting on servicing high levels of debt.

Deflation. Get used to it.

Generali

dopester wrote: »

Has to be that way. Pay-cuts. It is just hard for people who were counting on servicing high levels of debt.

Deflation. Get used to it.

Goldmans went to their contractors and said do you want 15% less money or 100%.

Presumably, some firms will get their staff to bid for their jobs.

PS You're up early old thing!

amcluesent

Savvy managers in the public sector will have increased their establishment headcount in 08-09, but will be carrying loads of vacancies and a bunch of contractors. For them, the "cutbacks" will consist of abolishing these empty posts and dropping agency staff.

Really2

socrates wrote: »

I know for a fact that the Rent Officer departments are disappearing around the country since the introduction of Local Housing Allowance in April 2008

Have they not been disapearing for years with the sale of housing stock to HA's?