Isle of Wight Council could lose 82 jobs over £32m cuts

Isle of Wight Council has begun a formal consultation with staff and unions over the proposed redundancies

More than 140 council workers have been warned they could lose their jobs due to budget cuts, Isle of Wight Council has said.

Eighty-two full and part-time posts are set to be closed, with the authority needing to save £32m over four years.

Last month the government agreed to review funding for the island following warnings about essential services.

The independent-run council said the job losses were due to its "extreme financial situation".

The 82 posts will be cut from a pool of 146 people.

Mark Chiverton, of the Unison trade union, said it was a "devastating blow".

'Much regret'

"It just means less and less people are desperately trying to shore up services which are very under-resourced," he said.

"Plainly the level of morale in the council is very low indeed."

A statement from the council said a consultation had started with staff and unions over the proposed redundancies, which would affect 146 employees.

Staff would be offered voluntary redundancy and could be offered alternative employment within the council, it said.

Council leader Jonathan Bacon added: "This is a decision which has been reached with much regret, and which has been a consequence of the extreme financial position which the council faces."

Last month the council's financial position was raised in Parliament after it received nothing from a £300m government fund to help councils hit hardest by cuts.

Communities secretary Greg Clark said he would visit the island to consider its circumstances.