Councillors have been given an update on Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s planned voluntary redundancy scheme which could see almost 200 employees leaving.
In a report to the council’s Personnel Committee behind closed doors at a meeting last month, interim chief executive Valerie Watts said that there have been 175 “requests for figures”.
She explained that the next step is to have final consultation meetings with the trade unions to agree a policy.
In addition, she indicated that calculations will be sent to employees who have made a request with a timetable for a formal application and to commence the “decision-making process” regarding those who have made an application.
Councillors were also reminded that “the budget reduction relating to the reduction in workforce is already within this year’s budget”.
The council has said that there will be “changes to staffing structures and investment in services to boost efficiency and value for money”. Last October, the interim chief executive confirmed that the local authority had a financial deficit of £7.2m.
In March, councillors were asked to approve voluntary redundancy for “employees whose severance can be justified by a business case”.
A report to members at the time said: “The objective is to achieve significant savings during the next 12 months.”
The following month, the interim chief executive confirmed to councillors that the “council-wide severance scheme was the subject of discussions with the trade unions”.
The local authority has been selling land and property as it seeks to address its “strained financial position”. Three plots of agricultural land in the Larne area have been on the market for more than £1m and recently a sale has been agreed for Smiley Buildings, the council’s main civic building at Victoria Road, in Larne which was on the market for £350k following an asset review.
In February, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council had 642 employees. Of these, 526 were full-time; 116, part-time, 184 were agency staff and 19 had fixed-term contracts.
The council furloughed 212 staff during the Covid pandemic.
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has been asked for a comment.