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UK Councils reject 'shared services'
11 May 2009:
Welsh councils have been urged by the assembly government to work together more closely to deliver savings.
However Wales' biggest council Cardiff, along with Newport and Caerphilly, has decided against providing joint HR, training and payroll services.
Its leader Rodney Berman said the council could save more money by doing its own internal reorganisation. He told BBC Wales' Politics Show: "The bottom line for us was that, with these particular services, we believe that we can save more money, more quickly, by doing our own internal reorganisation of the services we provide."
Dominic MacAskill, Unison's head of local government in Wales claims that the councils' withdrawal could render the plan unviable, as he believes it makes savings less likely and far less immediate.
He said unions supported the shared services agenda in general but had grave concerns about the accountability of the new arms-length organisation proposed in this instance.
He said: "Currently Rhondda Cynon Taf, a large authority, have yet to make a decision and Blaenau Gwent, a small to medium one, have yet to make a decision.
"I believe that even at present the project would not be viable.
Source: BBC
