Pay freeze will save 130 jobs, claims council

All staff working for Rotherham Borough Council have been asked to take salary cuts equivalent to three days pay per year, plus a pay freeze, for the next two years.

The council, which has already axed 350 jobs since January last year, says that the proposals will save £3 million a year—or the equivalent of safeguarding 130 jobs.

All staff, apart from teachers, are affected and negotiations with trade unions are on-going.

But angry workers said that the plans would hit the lowest paid twice, as they were already being hit the hardest by cuts in public services.

In a letter to all employees, chief executive Martin Kimber said that the proposals were a result of Government cuts which mean next year’s budget will be cut by £30.3 million.

He said a review of services to identify potential savings was not expected to bridge the gap in funding.

“I must stress it is only as a last resort that we are asking our employees for their support in these extremely challenging times,” Mr Kimber said.

“The two measures would help reduce the council’s spending by £3 million a year or the equivalent of safeguarding 130 jobs.

“The leader (Cllr Roger Stone) and I are fully aware that these are difficult proposals for employees to accept in the current economic climate, when you may already be facing your own financial difficulties.”

The council said that it had managed so far to keep the number of compulsory redundancies to a minimum by cutting use of agency staff, overtime working, mileage rates for business mileage, freezing recruitment for non-essential posts, restructured and reduced employee numbers in various functions.

A council spokesman added: “We must stress, no final decisions have yet been made.

“But should these go ahead the council would try to lessen the impact of these measures by, for example, spreading the financial cost of the loss of three days over the year so the impact won’t be felt as strongly.

“This works out on average about £2 to 3 per week for the vast majority of our employees, but obviously will be more for the higher paid.”

Campaigners have organised an anti-cuts march in Rotherham on Saturday March 5. Transport has also been organised from the town for a TUC-called national demonstration in London on March 26.