PLANS to axe 1,800 jobs at Cumbria County Council (CCC) over the next three years have been branded a ‘devastating blow’ and ‘an act of vandalism’ by unions.

The authority, which currently employs 7,000 people, said the cuts were necessary to save £83million by 2018 and meet reductions in funding from central government.

But UNISON, which represents a number of members at the council, said the scale of the cuts was ‘an act of vandalism’ that would damage the county’s ‘local economy and social fabric’.

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North West Regional Organiser Dave Armstrong said: “People in Cumbria need its council to be saying to the government in Westminster that this level of cut is intolerable.

“The cuts are of such a scale that there is no way they can be made in a way that does not do serious harm to our communities.

“The council needs to do all it can to protect jobs and we will be working to protect our members.”

When the cuts began in 2011 CCC employed 10,000 people, meaning its workforce will have halved in size to 5,000 by 2018.

GMB, the union for public service workers, said it will ‘demand’ that the council look at alternative ways of saving the money.

Dan Gow, GMB Regional Organiser said: “The council has also withdrawn the enhanced redundancy package and is looking to make voluntary redundancies under the state only package.

“GMB is shocked by this. We will be demanding that all other avenues are fully explored to make alternative savings before resorting to cutting hundreds of jobs. A full consultation with council staff will throw up other savings.”

In addition to job cuts, the county council has launched a public consultation on proposed cutbacks to tourism, recycling, highways, social care and public health.

However, a Cumbria County Council spokesman said: “There is no truth in the GMB statement that the council has withdrawn the redundancy package or is considering to.

“We held an informal briefing with all trades unions and advised them we would consult them on any changes to make the voluntary package more attractive, while balancing this against not increasing costs which in turn could mean further job losses.  We were absolutely clear with all trades unions that there were no compulsory redundancies planned.”

Planned cuts of £198,000 to advocacy services has caused concern from charity People First, which has used funding from CCC to support almost 4,000 people in the past 12 months.

David Blacklock Chief Executive of People First Independent Advocacy said: “Whilst I appreciate that the Council need to make vast savings, it deeply concerns me that without this support, many people would be left alone at their time of greatest need.”