CEREDIGION council staff were left “upset” by the authority leader’s “alarming and ill-judged” claims that jobs will be lost as a result of Welsh Government funding, a union has said.

Last month, the Cambrian News reported that council leader Cllr Ellen ap Gwynn (pictured) warned of job losses and cuts to services after Ceredigion was set for just a two per cent rise in core funding – the lowest in Wales.

Cllr ap Gwynn said that “at this level of cuts we are going to have to look at losing staff” and “due to continuous cuts over recent years these cuts will inevitably fall on our care and education services as all other services have been rationalised and cut to the bone already”.

Leading union, Unison, said that Cllr ap Gwynn was wrong to talk publicly about cutting jobs before speaking directly to employees.

Unison said staff working throughout the pandemic were “upset” to read in the media they might lose their jobs.

Joe Donnelly, Unison Cymru Wales regional organiser, said: “Ceredigion leader’s recent comments on the Welsh Government’s settlement figure are alarming and ill-judged.

“Unison hasn’t been consulted on the council budget and we are strongly opposed to any suggestion there must be staff cuts in care and education services.

“It is unacceptable for there to be any talk of redundancies when the budget has not reduced.

“While the pandemic has raged through our communities, public service workers have supported local people with skill and dedication under extraordinarily challenging circumstances.

“They have done this at a cost to their own health and wellbeing, and that of their families.

“Reading they might now lose their jobs has only added to the immense pressure staff are enduring.

“Our plea to Ceredigion County Council is, work with Unison to ensure hard-working council employees and the most vulnerable people they serve in our communities are not put at further risk.”

Cllr Ellen ap Gwynn told Cabinet on Tuesday, 12 January that the local government funding settlement from Welsh Government left Ceredigion at the “bottom of the list” with an increase of only two per cent – around £2 million – while the highest topped five per cent.

The settlement percentage rise for Ceredigion is the lowest of all Welsh authorities, just behind Wrexham at 2.3 per cent, and would leave the county with a £4.5m funding shortfall, Cllr ap Gwynn said.

A formal consultation period on the funding is under way, and Ceredigion MS Elin Jones has already called for a rise in funding to the county, and the introduction of a ‘funding floor’ to ensure all authorities are given a rise of more than three per cent.

Ceredigion County Council has been asked to comment.