Manchester City Council to cut 2,000 staff posts

kabayiri

The_White_Horse wrote: »

should be 6000.

i think the main job they should cut back on is that moron you speak to when you phone the council and they tell you it is not their department that deals with your issue, but can't tell you what department you actually need. Here is an example:
....

I wouldn't worry horsey mate

In a few years time you won't find any telephone number published which will let you speak to anybody working in a council.

Instead, you will have to crawl your way through 400 layers of IVR on the telephony system of some super duper centralised service.

Assuming you haven't lost the will to live at the end of this, you will speak to someone with such limited ability to address your issues it will make the "computer says no" character seem like Executive Command!

The change will be painful, for all concerned. Maybe at the end of all this change we might have more efficient streamlined processes (but I won't hold my breath!)

Party_Animal

Old_Slaphead wrote: »

Many in the 55-60 age range are going for VR with no penalty for early access to pension. Great deal for many who would have liked early retirement anyway.

That moves the bulk of cost from council to pension fund leading to a much bigger scheme shortfall......more costs for taxpayer and significantly more for employees a few years down the line.

Incorrect, the rules were changed last April. You now need to be 60 to access you pension. There are several people where I work being made redundant in their early 50s ( not VR). They cannot access their pension till they are 60 and there is a penalty for early retirement. You only get the years you've worked not what you would have got had you stayed. Enhancements are a thing of the past. Get your facts right.

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

Well this thread's not going quite to plan, eh doire?

Butterfly_Brain

This is a council that has £100,000000 in it's reserve and a vastly overpaid chief.

I know what it is :idea: It is the Tory Big Society, get rid of Council workers put them on useless JS and expect them to do the same work for nothing:p

Old_Slaphead

Party_Animal wrote: »

Enhancements are a thing of the past. Get your facts right.

I repeat, people in my LA are being offered VR and, if they are over 55, can access their pension without the usual early retiree penalty.

Your comment should read that LG employees generally now cannot access their pensions until 65 but long standing employees still have the possibilty of taking a substantial portion of their pension, without penalty, from age of 60 if they qualify under the 85 year rule.

I suggest you recheck your facts. People under 55 cannot access their pensions under any circumstances and I never said that they could!!

Generali

I thought people like footballers could access their pension before 55. I'm no expert though.

The council doesn't really have much choice here. The Government needs to spend less and it seems reasonable that cuts should be at local as well as central government level.

vivatifosi

Generali wrote: »

I thought people like footballers could access their pension before 55. I'm no expert though.

Minimum age to access pension rose to 55 from 50, last April IIRC. I think you still can access prior to that under exceptional circumstances, such as terminal illness. Don't know the specifics of government schemes though.

Generali

vivatifosi wrote: »

Minimum age to access pension rose to 55 from 50, last April IIRC. I think you still can access prior to that under exceptional circumstances, such as terminal illness. Don't know the specifics of government schemes though.

Interesting. I used to know a bloke who'd played for Pompy in the 1950s/60s who I think got a small pension as a result when he was in middle age.

Old_Slaphead

Generali wrote: »

The council doesn't really have much choice here. The Government needs to spend less and it seems reasonable that cuts should be at local as well as central government level.

Point is, in many cases, councils are using pension funds to part subsidise voluntary early retirement.

dizzybuff

TBH they are late reporting this , the council has been cutting positions since August last year. But if they stop spending money like the silly renting of NO1 Number 1 street they would have a little more money.