UNISON has criticised Dorset Council’s decision to use AI in its transformation programme to help reduce the number of staff it employs.
Last week the council published a plan to ‘streamline’ how it works and reduce running costs by £10m in 2025/26.
UNISON Dorset branch secretary Becky Brookman criticised the decision, arguing it ‘won’t be any good for residents or those at risk of losing their jobs.’
Council leader Nick Ireland said the local authority would focus on reducing the number of job roles ‘in a way that minimises redundancies’, such as by not recruiting to some vacant posts.
‘We value the expertise that our staff bring and will support colleagues to find alternative positions within the organisation where possible,’ he said.
‘We continue to engage with our trade union colleagues and employees to find ways to achieve this.’
