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Budget talks spark job loss fear | Budget talks spark job loss fear |
(about 4 hours later) | |
More than 100 protesters took part in a demonstration in Edinburgh in protest at possible job losses ahead of the city council's crunch budget talks. | |
Staff union Unison said compulsory redundancies would be unavoidable if the council made cutbacks to redress a £20m budget deficit. | |
The council must balance its budget to meet commitments to freeze council tax. | The council must balance its budget to meet commitments to freeze council tax. |
The decision to freeze band D rates at £1,169 was later confirmed at the council's annual budget meeting. | |
Unison said cuts would hit the under-fives, the elderly, disabled and communities across the city. | Unison said cuts would hit the under-fives, the elderly, disabled and communities across the city. |
Front-line services | Front-line services |
The council plans to cut back on full-day early years places, care at home restricted to "critical" hospital discharge cases only and community projects. | |
Agnes Petkevicius, Unison's Edinburgh branch secretary, said: "Councillors really cannot get away with the pretence that front-line services will not be affected. | Agnes Petkevicius, Unison's Edinburgh branch secretary, said: "Councillors really cannot get away with the pretence that front-line services will not be affected. |
"It is clear that jobs will be lost in the council and in the voluntary sector, jobs that deliver front-line services. | "It is clear that jobs will be lost in the council and in the voluntary sector, jobs that deliver front-line services. |
"In addition, it is hard to see how compulsory redundancies will be avoided both in the council and in some of the cash-starved voluntary sector providers if cuts of this magnitude go ahead." | "In addition, it is hard to see how compulsory redundancies will be avoided both in the council and in some of the cash-starved voluntary sector providers if cuts of this magnitude go ahead." |
However council leader Jenny Dawe claimed its budget was "balanced, responsible and sustainable". | |
"Despite tight constraints, this is a milestone budget for Edinburgh, created in the best interests of Edinburgh residents," she said. | |
"We are looking after our city and the people who live in it, especially some of our more vulnerable citizens." |
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