Highland Council leader pledges to do all he can to avoid redundancies amid fears for 500 jobs
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The leader of Highland Council has told staff ‘we have your backs’ amid fears of 500 job losses
Councillor Raymond Bremner sought to reassure the local authority's 10,000 employees that they would do everything possible to avoid redundancies.
His words came as a new report detailed up to 500 job losses and swingeing service cuts.
Senior councillors and executives said they’re working to ‘reduce, reshape and review’ the workforce rather than make redundancies.
However, opposition members pressed the administration to share details of their plans at today's meeting of the full council at Inverness.
“You talk a good game, but every time you fail,” said Councillor Alasdair Christie, leader of the opposition.
The council officers’ financial crisis report struck a suitably sombre tone in the chamber.
Councillor Bremner opened the debate with a direct address to staff.
He said: “Cosla is dealing with the exact same challenges that we are, so we’re not unique. The message to employees is, you’re not alone.
"We’re all having to deal with this together. The frustration can be that we’re not at that point of any clarity right now.”
Councillor Bremner continued: “I want to make sure that our employees, especially at this time of year, know that we have their backs as much as we possibly can – so that next year they can still see another Christmas.”
His pledge reflects the increasingly concerning picture around the council’s finances.
In September, the council said it had a ‘no redundancies’ policy.
Within weeks, the words ‘wherever possible’ had been tagged on.
And in a presentation delivered to employees, the council said it’s aiming to reduce its workforce by 500 jobs in 2023/24.
While local authority bosses stress this will be achieved through vacancy management, it is still a sizeable reduction in the Highland workforce.
Senior councillors sought to calm the waters.
Education chairman John Finlayson said if members work together, the region will 'weather this perfect storm'.
However, opposition councillors poured scorn on this rhetoric.
Councillor Andrew Jarvie (Scottish Conservative) questioned the truthfulness both of current budget projections and previous figures.
With Highland Council predicting a £40.9 million budget gap, he asked how the leader felt about a £2 billion underspend at Scottish Government level.
“Have you expressed your outrage yet?” he asked.
Councillor Jarvie went on to press political leaders for details of which jobs would be protected, which services cut and how the savings targets were applied.
Budget leader Derek Louden said the administration is going to Scottish ministers with ideas, not problems.
But Councillor Christie asked: "What are those ideas?"
His Liberal Democrat colleague David Gregg picked up on part of the report stating that some services may have to be removed altogether. He asked: "Which ones?"
Councillor Christie concluded: “You say we’re all in this together but also that it’s premature to tell us anything. You talk a good game on partnership and collaboration but every time you fail.”
Councillor Louden emphasised the unprecedented nature of the financial crisis, and said the administration would share its plans as soon it could.
In a bid to speed them up, Councillor Christie proposed a special meeting of council in January.
However, his motion was defeated by 41 votes to 27.
