Shropshire Council redundancy pay-out cuts approved

A demonstration was held outside Shire Hall

Plans to reduce redundancy pay-outs and car allowances for Shropshire Council staff have been approved.

The proposals were agreed at a cabinet meeting at Shire Hall in Shrewsbury as about 100 protesters outside voiced concerns over spending cuts.

The Conservative-run council previously said it needed to save £76m over the next four years.

The GMB union said it feared 2,400 jobs council jobs were under threat within that time frame.

Councillor Keith Barrow, leader of Shropshire Council said the council would do everything it could to avoid compulsory redundancies.

"This means we are looking for savings in other areas of our spending, cutting non-essential posts as they become vacant, and finding other ways to reduce our wages and salary bill by moving to more flexible ways of working.

"Some of the choices we'll have to make will be difficult, but I can promise all staff that we will do our absolute best to work through these challenging times together," he added.