Fewer council staff

SHETLAND Islands Council is on target to shed 600 full-time-equivalent (FTE) posts thereby reducing its wages bill by £15 million annually, according to council leader Gary Robinson.

Figures published by the SIC on Thursday show that the number of staff employed has been reduced by 441 over the past three years.

With the measures taken this year, that number will rise to 600 FTE, Robinson said.
“The number of council staff is a subject of much discussion when it comes to identifying ways to save money.

“But these latest figures clearly show we are taking the job of reducing staff numbers very seriously.

“Clearly, the process of managing staff in these circumstances has to be handled sensitively, and it would be wrong to think we’ve been able to do all of this without making any noticeable changes.

“But I think we have to highlight the fact that we are still delivering very high quality services compared with other councils,” he said.