A looming financial crisis will lead to major staff cuts at Liverpool City Council. City Editor David Bartlett reports

LIVERPOOL Council is to axe 1,000 jobs over the next three years. Trades unions have warned staff that the local authority is looking to shed 1,000 jobs out of its 10,000 workforce because of a “looming” financial crisis.

The council faces a £120m gap in its budget over the next five years, including a shortfall of £11m for the next financial year.

The authority is yet to go into details about which staff will be affected: management will meet unions next week to discuss the issue.

Last night the council said it would work closely with unions to manage job losses as sensitively as possible.

It hoped natural wastage, retirements, and non-replacement of staff who leave the authority would reduce job losses.

Liverpool Council leader Warren Bradley, who was at a conference with 19 council leaders, said: “We have always said we will work to try to sustain public sector jobs.

“Unfortunately there will be some casualties in this.”

Roy Gladden, GMB union representative, said: “Our position is quite clear, the council tells us it has got a crisis looming.

“They tell us that this could mean up to 1,000 jobs going.

“We want to have meaningful negotiations with the council.

“There are areas within the authority that one could be looking at that would not necessarily mean job loses.

“Our position will be that frontline services have to be protected.

“It should also be that no-one talks about redundancies while senior management are getting bonuses.

“We are meeting with the council on November 18 to discuss their proposals.”

A council spokesman said the local authority was well advanced in its budget planning for the next financial year.