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MHDC chief executive Chris Bocock is confident compulsory redundancies can be avoided should a merger with Worcester City go ahead, citing MHDC's recent transition to a shared services arrangement with Worcester City and Wychavon District for revenues and benefits provision.

"If you plan carefully you can avoid the need for any redundancies. Staff are aware of this and we have been keeping them informed of the talks we have been having," he said. "In recent years we have reduced staffing quite a lot, especially in terms of senior management, without compulsory redundancies.

But Adrian Gregson, a Worcestershire representative of public services union Unison, said staff would be very concerned about the proposal.

"The only reason you go forward with sharing services is to save money, and you do that by getting rid of staff," he said. "Our members would rightly be concerned about something like this. And they talk about savings, but the fact is that making people redundant is not cheap."

Tom Wells, a member of MHDC's opposition Lib Dem/Green group, believes the cost of reorganisation and the associated redundancies could cost the council in excess of £1m.

"Every redundancy settlement in local government costs a great deal of money," he said. "The overall costs would be immense."

12:00pm Friday 16th May 2008

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