Leicester City Council to cut more than 500 jobs

Leicester City Council is to cut more than 500 jobs in the next year as it tries to make savings of £28m.

Most posts will go in support services but more than 100 are being lost in Children's Services, which has had its £4m budget cut by 25%.

Staff are also facing a cut in their working week from 37 to 35 hours and changes to sick pay.

Public services union Unison said it was angry it had not been fully consulted on the changes.

Council tax freeze

The Labour-controlled city council said it was the "toughest budget" it had ever had to set.

Council Leader Veejay Patel said: "We have tried to protect, as far as we can, front line services; safeguarding children, Building Schools for the Future.

"But inevitably we have some unavoidable cuts as a result of the significant scale of cuts imposed by government."

Gary Garner, from the Leicester City branch of Unison, said: "We have expressed our anger at the way we have been consulted - councillors, cabinet and officers have been meeting since last September and only this Saturday have they briefed the trade unions.

"That will only give us a month to consult our members and look for alternatives."

He added: "It's just an attack on our members' jobs, it's an attack on Leicester City Council service users and indeed an attack on the Leicester public."

Six care homes for the elderly and a homeless hostel are also to be reviewed. City parking charges will rise by 10%.

City officials had already estimated the authority would have to find £100m in savings by 2015.

Last week a freeze in council tax for the coming year was approved.