Council staff told 600 jobs at risk

COUNCIL workers have been handed notices about possible job losses, with a warning the authority may have to "consider compulsory redundancies".

Argyll and Bute Council has launched a consultation after identifying 600 posts, from which "a number of redundancies might arise".

The news comes as part of the funding squeeze hitting councils, with authorities such as Fife announcing that 1,800 posts are to be cut within the next year.

Argyll and Bute Council chief executive Sally Loudon said she hoped to keep compulsory redundancies to a minimum and that no final decision would be made until February.

"The council is committed to working closely with trades unions to make sure that the consultation is meaningful and that any possible future compulsory redundancies are reduced as far as possible," she said.

"The draft service reviews have identified a pool of more than 600 non-teaching posts from which a number of redundancies might arise."

The job losses are part of a plan to slash the council budget by 15 per cent over three years.

Bridget Hunter, regional organiser for union Unison, said: "We're in discussion with the council and are hopeful of avoiding compulsory redundancies."