COUNTY Hall bosses are aiming to save millions of pounds by paying less money to workers who are made redundant.

From March 26, payments to Lancashire County Council (LCC) staff who take voluntary redundancy, or are made compulsory redundant, will be reduced from 2.2 to 1.8 weeks’ pay, up to a maximum of 66 weeks, for every year of service.

Since April 2010 the county council has shelled out £33million in redundancy payments, but officers said that amount would have been £6m lower if the 1.8 multiplier had been applied.

But union bosses slammed the changes and said officers’ calculations were based on false information.

Les Parker, from Unite, said: “What they don’t take into account is that a lot of people wouldn’t have taken it - they would’ve said no because it was less money.

“When they do tricks like this people won’t take voluntary redundancy, so they will have to make them compulsory redundant.

“If they do that the employer can’t bring people in to do those jobs for at least six months, so they are talking hogwash.

“I am against any redundancies whatsoever because there are too many unemployed people.

“At the end of the day this is affecting public services because they are suffering terribly in relation to all these cuts.

“People are having to do more work, for less pay, in less time, and that is always going to reduce the quality of service.”

Last month the Taxpayers’ Alliance criticised Blackburn with Darwen Council after it was revealed the local authority had re-employed employees just months after paying them severance packages.

To avoid such criticism, any LCC staff who are made redundant and given severance pay will have to agree not to apply for jobs at County Hall for at least three years.

Unison branch secretary Elaine Cotterill added: “Obviously we object to the changes.

“But the county council is committed to avoiding compulsory redundancies.

“Obviously time will tell. So far they have managed the job losses by voluntary means, but we do not know what will happen in the future.”