The UK’s biggest trade union is calling on the government to urgently address the ‘broken’ local council funding system that has led to Nottingham City Council effectively declaring itself bankrupt.
Nottingham City Council must now stop all spending other than on services it must provide by law, which could mean drastic cuts to non-statutory services and put jobs at risk. The authority will also need to place a freeze on recruitment.
With a sizeable number of job vacancies at the council, this will inevitably lead to already stretched staff taking on more work and stress, says UNISON.
UNISON East Midlands head of local government Rachel Hodson said: “However well prepared council staff were for this inevitable announcement; it won’t stop hundreds of workers panicking about losing their jobs and paying the bills. The fact that this has happened so close to Christmas only makes this news worse.
“UNISON is committed to working with the council leadership to deal with the impact of the section 114 notice being issued and will support council workers in any way possible.”
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• Nottingham City Council: Union says Government ‘neglects local services’
• Nottingham City Council: Victim of a ‘broken system’ says LGIU