Birmingham City Council staff get redundancy offer

Birmingham City Council workers are to be asked about taking voluntary redundancy as the council attempts to save £330m over the next four years.

Employees will be contacted "on the opportunity to allow a controlled number of voluntary redundancies", the council said.

The council said it was in discussions with trade unions about the move.

It has already written to 26,000 employees consulting them about accepting flexible working contracts.

'Business critical'

Unions have said workers have been told to accept the terms or face redundancy but the council has denied such a suggestion.

Expressions of interest for voluntary redundancy will be open to all staff except those in "business critical" roles, the council said.

Some council departments, including the meals on wheels service, have been under review for some time and compulsory redundancies have not been ruled out, the spokesman added.

Unison said it had asked the council to stop making compulsory redundancies while voluntary redundancy was being discussed but it had refused.

The GMB union has said it would work with the council in light of the voluntary redundancy announcement.