Council worker calls £2k job exit offer ‘a joke’

Having looked into Dumfries and Galloway Council’s offer of voluntary redundancy to all employees, as it seeks to remove 400 posts, the school cleaner says the offer was ‘a joke’ after 20 years of service.
Not wishing to be identified, she said: “Just £2032.85 – that’s what they’ve offered me, and I’ve worked for them for 20 years this August.
“I’m not in a pension, but this is what they’re offering me to go, for 20 years’ work.”
She added: “I just can’t believe it.”
The 47-year-old works 16-and-three-quarter hours a week, with a salary of £5000.
Claiming her line manager had revealed many people were complaining the sums offered were not enough, she said: “They’re not going to get 400 voluntary redundancies if that’s what they’re offering.
“I’m 47 – I’ve got another 20 years to work.
“I earn £5000 a year and it’s not even a year’s wage, or even half a year’s wage.”
Like many other employees, the worker had considered taking up the council offer – admitting she may have been living in ‘Cloud Cuckoo Land’ by expecting up to £12,000 or £15,000.
Angry, she said: “It’s just a joke – they’re just taking the Mickey.”
Dumfries and Galloway Council say redundancy payment is calculated in accordance with the Statutory Redundancy Pay table.
The employee receives a set number of weeks’ pay based on age and continuous service, the maximum service that can be counted is 20 years and the maximum number of weeks’ pay that can be counted is 30.
The Council say that they have been ‘very encouraged’ by the interest expressed in the scheme so far, and said: “There has been no evidence that the Council will not receive sufficient applications.”
Having run Early Retirement or Voluntary Severance ERVS roadshows in the past few weeks, they added: “These roadshows have proved popular, so much so that another five roadshows have been organised right across the region throughout April.
“With just shy of 500 expressions of interest from our staff, we feel it is vital they receive as much information as possible to allow them to make an informed choice about their next steps in their working lives.”