Isle of Wight Council reveals 535 jobs will go

The Isle of Wight Council has revealed 535 jobs are likely to go as part of plans to save £32m over four years due to the government's Spending Review.

All departments within the council are set to be affected by the announcement but senior management is likely to be hardest hit, the authority said.

It said compulsory redundancies would be minimised and some posts may be taken over by outside bodies.

Public sector union Unison said it was "extremely disappointed".

'Saving services'

The Conservative-run council aims to save £17m next year alone.

Chief executive Steve Beynon said efforts were still being made to ensure the number of compulsory job losses would be kept to a minimum.

"This will naturally be a difficult time for staff and we will make sure that all the appropriate support is made available to help them through the process," he said.

Andy Straker, from public sector union Unison, said he was disappointed with the council.

"Obviously we are extremely shocked," he added.

"We need to get in there and talk to management.

"This isn't just about saving jobs, it's about saving services."