Workers face 25% pay cut at council, union warns

Dorset Council staff have had a 25% real-term reduction in pay over recent years, its main staff union has said.

Councillors were told that stress at County Hall was at an all-time high, and women and lower-paid workers were likely to be worse off under the next round of savings.

Unison representative Becky Brookman made the comments at May's full Dorset Council meeting, adding that the nationally negotiated pay offer of 3.2% represented another real-terms pay cut.

Cabinet member Ben Wilson said the council valued the contributions of staff and would continue to lobby the government for better funding.

Ms Brookman said government grants to the council had been cut by 60% since 2010.

"Without dedicated staff local government would collapse and without fair pay councils will continue to struggle to recruit and retain staff," she said.

"Across the UK 900,000 jobs have been lost in local government since 2010, a reduction of more than 30%.

"At Dorset Council, we have seen cuts upon cuts, restructures after restructures due to the lack of government funding from this and the previous government."

She also said staff would shortly be going through "one of the biggest cuts to staff" since the creation of the council.

"Any further cuts will lead to essential service cuts," she added.

Regarding the lob losses, Mr Wilson previously said: "We are committed to a thorough and transparent process... and hope to achieve the best outcomes for the community and our employees."

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