WARRINGTON Borough Council has cut its workforce by 17.6 per cent since the General Election – more than the regional average of 14.7 per cent.
In percentage terms, it has also cut its workforce by more than any of its neighbouring authorities.
The figures have been revealed by the GMB union, but are based on data collected and analysed by the Office for National Statistics and forms part of the ONS public sector employment statistics.
The number of employees in 41 Local Authorities in the North West fell from 305,600 in the first quarter of 2010 to 260,600 in third quarter of last year. This is a fall of 45,000 or -14.7 per cent since the 2010 General Election.
Across England and Wales, there was a fall of 354,900, or 15.7 per cent.
Figures for local councils were supplied to the ONS by the councils themselves and include the schools workforce.
GMB say most job losses arise from freezing vacancies, redundancies and natural wastage as a result of budget cuts.
Some of the fall in numbers arises due to movement between public and private sectors, such as when schools become academies. Some, such as colleges, arise from reclassifications by ONS from public to private sector.
GMB regional secretary Paul McCarthy said: “The terrible extent of the cuts that the Tory/Liberal government has imposed on local authorities is plain to see in these new statistics.
“In the North West alone numbers employed by the 41 councils in the region are down by 45,000.
“These are the people who provide local services so cuts are a disaster for local communities and for those workers who have lost their jobs. Council budgets are still being cut so this trend in falling employment numbers is likely to continue into 2014.
“Not a single council worker ever contributed anything to the financial crisis that they are being made to pay the price for. Neither did any of the elderly, needy or vulnerable local citizens that rely on ever diminishing council services.”
Warrington has cut 1,571 employees, a reduction of 17.6 per cent.
Neighbouring councils have reduced their workforces as follows: Cheshire East, 2,002 (15.3 per cent); Wigan, 1,928 (14.9 per cent); St Helens, 1,084 (12.9 per cent); Salford, 1,310 (12.2 per cent); Cheshire West and Chester, 1,534 (11.8 per cent); Halton, 643 (11.1 per cent); Trafford, 913 (10.4 per cent).
WARRINGTON Borough Council has cut its workforce by 17.6 per cent since
the General Election - more than the regional average of 14.7 per cent.
Council tops the league for job cuts
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
5 Comments
The figures, if accurate, show that Warrington Borough Council had one employee for every 14 member of the population – sound like cuts in headcount were overdue.
Just goes to show how badly WBC has been mis-managed over the years. All the money that has been squandered over the last 20 odd years without considering the consequences. City status? You’re having a laugh. Wouldn’t trust them to run the proverbial in a brewery. The worrying thing is that people keep voting them in. Wake up people, vote the ones who will do the best job, not who your father voted for.
Suppose you mean the Con/Libdem coalition we had up to 3 years ago that brought Diana Terris in . She allowed the top officers to run riot. These figures do not take into account the fact that Goldengates Housing was transferred into a trust taking all the people formerly working for the council into the trust. This had to be done in order to get money from the government to update properties. Previously the government would not allow monies to be reinvested from council house sales. The same equasion has had to be done with the new Leisure Trusts just been formed.
Before that the buses were transferred to an armlength management association.
So lets get the facts straight G.M.B is using these figures to mislead readers for mischievous perposes
Nick dont know where you get your figures from warrington has over 90,000 houses that makes 1 employee for every 60 houses minimum
Sorry, I meant to put the population of working age (i.e. 16 to 64) as taken from the council’s own website.