Hundreds of jobs at risk as council cuts wage bill

Dorset Council is undergoing a transformation programme

Hundreds of jobs could be lost at Dorset Council as it looks to cut £12.5m from its pay bill.

The authority is also preparing to use artificial intelligence to help it operate more efficiently.

Unison, the union, said "hundreds of jobs", many from lower pay grades, would be lost over the next four or five years.

The council said it would continue to consult with its workforce and any changes would be assessed for their impact.

The council said it would continue to consult with its workforce

Dorset Council is undergoing a transformation programme to reduce its running costs by £10 million in 2025-26.

Among the plans is the introduction of new technology, including artificial intelligence equipment, to help deal with customers with less staff intervention.

It said increased use of automation for customer contacts would free staff to offer a person-to-person service for customers who were unable to use IT solutions, or did not feel confident using them.

At Tuesday's cabinet meeting, Unison said there was not enough information about the potential impact of the proposed changes on staff or on the council's customers.

Unison rep Becky Brookman said the staff were the council's greatest asset

Unison rep Becky Brookman said there was concern the changes would mostly impact women and lower paid staff, and older and digitally excluded residents.

She said: "Automation underpins everything but there is no detail of how this will be achieved.

"No evidence that artificial intelligence will be able to achieve roles currently undertaken by staff - the council's greatest asset."

The councillor overseeing the changes, Ben Wilson, said he would continue to engage with staff and stakeholders, and any changes would be assessed for their impact before being agreed.

He said: "We are committed to a thorough and transparent process... and hope to achieve the best outcomes for the community and our employees."