UNION chiefs in Worcestershire have hit out at more county council job cuts - saying it is “not a very nice new year present.”

Steve Brown, from the county’s Unison branch, said staff at the authority would be fearing the worst.

As the Worcester News reported yesterday, another 650 posts are expected to be cut by 2017, on top of the 857 previously announced.

The county council is looking to save at least £20 million from spending every year to 2017, and wants to hand over as many services as possible to outside providers.

Mr Brown said: “When the council first announced the 850 odd job losses a few years ago we said at the time, we feared it would rise.

“What you are now looking at is a total of 1,500 across the piece, which is very bad news.

“We know many jobs that go vacant are not being filled and when that happens it increases the pressure on those who stay.

“It’s not a very nice new year present to staff.”

Councillor Adrian Hardman, the leader, has said the move will be “difficult for the council and difficult for staff”.

He is hoping once services are commissioned out, new providers take on existing council staff to avoid the need for large numbers to end up on the dole.

The findings, contained in the council’s new Corporate Plan, also says the jobs left behind in-house will be higher quality and more focused on managing services rather than providing them, which will increase the average County Hall wage.