660 jobs to go.

[Shadow]

My sister works for Newcastle Council and I know its a serious worry for her at to whether shes going to lose her job or not.When we were talking about it she said that at present jobs were being reduced by either people taking early retirement or by not recruiting new staff for vacancies and instead passing on the workload to staff still employed.This is having the knock on affect of putting them under extreme pressure and delays in processing applicants.

I see its also forecast that Gateshead council are also cutting 600 jobs and North Tyneside three hundred making a total of about 1500 job losses.Should my sister manage to keep her job I imagine she'll be dealing with quite an increased workload as she works in the benefits section

[Deleted]

What a cruel irony if she had to deal with former colleagues.

[Ann1]

I wonder how many of those are high level managers?? It's always the workers who cop for it!!!! I know from past experience it takes forever to sort out benefits, it'll take even longer now!!! I wonder how many of Dave 'n' Gideons' cronies have had to wait for benefits to be sorted out, I'll hazard a guess it's none!!! But of course this was the plan all along - cut back the "state", forgetting that the state is made up of real people!!!!

[Shadow]

Another thing featured in the Chronicle article is the proposed increases in cost for refuse collection etc.

"The fees increase includes plans to charge £20 per year for garden waste removal and recycling service, a service for which some other councils already charge.

Officers also want to look at scrapping free bulky collections and introducing a charge of £15 per collection.

A charge will be introduced for replacement wheelie bins and recycling caddies, although the council admits this could see an increase in fly tipping if residents simply refuse to pay up.



Read More www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north-east-news/evening-chronicle-news/2011/01/24/newcastle-city-council-reveals-660-jobs-cut-72703-28043805/#ixzz1BzLOI9RD"

Now this really gets my goat.


Im wondering where exactly our council tax is going then.

Last week Mr Shads and I took four carloads of rubbish up to the local incinerator-it had built up due to missed collections during the recent bad weather.

At the gate there was one individual whose sole job was to tell us which skip to put our rubbish into-and he had his chair stationed by the gates so he could rest during this arduous task.

Once inside we hauled our rubbish bags up the steps located by the side of the skips and chucked the rubbish in-watched with what looked like some amusement by the guy stationed at the top of the stairs checking it was household rubbish only.He must have the special gift of xray vision to be able to see through those black bin liners mind

Young or old,fit or disabled he never budged an inch to help.

Now Im not particularly blaming these guys-Im sure the managers had set out exactly what their duties are-but its galling to watch grown men just stand there watching the people struggle doing what is basically refuse removal and disposal for free whilst they are paid a full wage.

Its absolutely ridiculous.Ive been visiting that particular incinerator for ten years now and its just going from bad to worse.

Hell-give me fifteen quid a go and I'll happily drive round the estate offering to drive eight bin bags the five minute journey

[avatar]

I'm seconded to South Tyneside Council for 3 days a week and they are predicting 1,200 jobs to be lost in the next 4 years.

I provide assistance to the Council developing their inward investment strategy for the Round 3 Offshore Wind Opportunities and these skills and knowledge don't reside in the council in case anybody was wondering why they where paying us whilst cutting jobs