THE leader of Barnet Council says the authority has been “open and honest” with staff after serving more than 800 at-risk-of-redundancy notices on Friday.

Around 350 of those jobs are likely to be lost under budget proposals put forward for approval at a full council meeting on Tuesday.

Now staff are to be consulted over 90 days on the future of services and how they are structured, before final redundancies are confirmed in March, at an estimated costs of £12 million.

Councillor Lynne Hillan, Barnet Council leader, said: “This is an extremely difficult time for staff right across the council.

“Throughout the process of setting a budget we have been committed to being open and honest with people and it is only right and proper we share our decision making process with those staff whose posts are at risk.”

Last week Barnet Unison secretary John Burgess questioned the timing of the move, coming just beofre Christmas, saying it had spread “fear” in many departments.

Cllr Hillan added: “Barnet, like every other local authority up and down the country, is having to make some very tough choices about where we prioritise our funding.

“As our workforce makes up a large part of our overall spending it would simply be impossible to make the savings we have to without some reduction in the number of people employed by the council.”