Redundancy offer to Ryedale District Council workers (From York Press)

Redundancy offer to Ryedale District Council workers

8:54am Monday 8th February 2010 in

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STAFF are being offered voluntary redundancy at Ryedale District Council as part of a drive to identify savings, a report has revealed.

The council’s overview and scrutiny committee requested a report into why the authority had decided to invite staff to apply for voluntary redundancy in December last year.

With the closing date for redundancy applications due shortly, the council has been unable to say how many of its staff had made inquires.

However the report to the policy and resources committee on the cuts said that based on tough projections for the financial year beginning in 2011, the authority had to find ways to make savings.

It said: “When faced with this scenario, there are provisions within the policy to implement measures which would seek to avoid the need to make compulsory redundancies.

“It is these measures that have been used to invite expressions of interest.

“This is recognised as good practise by ACAS in these circumstances.”

“Expectations within local government are that there will be a significant cash reduction in Government grant in 2011/2012 and all authorities are planning for this.

“Typically, the council finds savings of about £300,000 in a year to balance its budget.

“Therefore the scale of the problem facing the council in 2011/2012 means a fundamentally different approach is required.”

Following the closing date, an evaluation panel will make recommendations to the chief executive and chairman of the policy and resources committee, who have delegated authority on redundancy decisions.

If approved, staff will be made an offer at that time and leave between April 1,this year and March 31 next year.