COUNTY bosses have pledged to work with trade unions after calls to stop hundreds of redundancies.

Hampshire County Council said it will continue to review its decisions but it did not confirm whether it will halt redundancies amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The news comes as on Tuesday,  Hampshire Unison branch – which represents county council employees – urged the authority to make a U-turn amid claims that the council intends to continue with planned redundancies. 

It follows plans approved last year to save £80m by 2021 putting more than 220 jobs at risk.Unison also asked the council to halt all sickness-related sanctions and disciplinary procedures.Hampshire Unison Branch secretary Callum Williamson previously said the council cannot meaningfully consult staff when people are unable to meet in person.

When asked whether it will halt redundancies and sickness-related sanctions and what is the policy the authority has adopted in relation to employees calling in sick amid the Covid-19 outbreak, a spokesperson for the county council said: “The well-being of our workforce and the wider community that we serve is core to our decision making during this exceptional period of time.

"All of our employees have been kept updated with the actions they need to take should they become sick with the virus or have to self-isolate. We take all decisions relating to our staff seriously and in line within clearly defined processes.

"We will continue to review future decisions in relation to all HCC business in light of the current situation and will engage with our staff and our trade unions as appropriate and necessary.”