Cornwall Council staff are balloted over pay freeze

Workers at Cornwall Council are being balloted over a proposed pay freeze and other changes.

Unions have negotiated a deal with the council which could protect 200 jobs from compulsory redundancy and save about £6m.

The Conservative-Independent coalition-run council has said it has to save £170m over four years and up to 2,000 posts could be cut.

The ballot closes on 24 January. Unions have said workers are worried.

Proposed changes include a pay freeze from 1 February 2011 to 31 March 2012, new overtime rates and removal of some allowances.

Cornwall Council workers are represented by the Unite, GMB and Unison unions.

Laura Sheppard, from Unite, said: "We're never happy with any cuts but it was the best deal we could come up with.

"Some people are going to be extremely affected."

She said the mood among staff was "split" with manual workers "angry" after being subjected to a previous round of cuts and other staff "scared and worried".

Last week Unison warned there could be "hundreds" of compulsory job losses at the council, which is one of Cornwall's biggest employers.

The council said it recognised this was a "very difficult time for staff" and its aim was to "protect as many jobs as possible".