We have written to the leader of Hambleton District Council (HDC), Councillor Mark Robson, to request that all staff at HDC are offered the same exit options as four senior executives.

HDC will cease to exist after 31 March 2023, as all North Yorkshire councils are merged into one new unitary council. Although all staff will have the legal right to transfer to the new council from 1 April, four senior executives at Hambleton have been offered settlements totalling £770,000.

Dean Harper, our Regional Organiser, said:

“We opposed these unnecessary payments to a few senior executives, but now the payment shave been approved by councillors we believe it is only right and fair that all staff are offered the same opportunity.

“Councillors argued that these senior staff are loyal and hardworking, and that they are anxious about what the future holds for them at the new Council.

“We believe that all staff at Hambleton District Council are loyal and hardworking. Our members are also anxious about the future and what their jobs will look like at the new council.

“Councillor Robson is on record as saying that he would like to be able to offer all his staff the same terms, but that he didn’t have a ‘route’ available to him to do so. I have today written to Councillor Robson to offer him that ‘route’ and I look forward to working with him to agree terms for all staff who do not want to transfer to the new council on 1 April.”

Our proposal would mean that any member working at HDC who does not want to transfer to the new council on 1 April 2023 should be offered the same package as the senior executives, specifically enhanced redundancy.