TORY councillors have voted to go ahead with plans to fire and rehire about 150 staff, despite being warned the practice is “so bad it’s being made illegal”.

Labour and Lib Dem members had called on Worcestershire County Council not to press on with the controversial employment practice.

Dozens of senior staff are being dismissed from their 37-hour contracts next month and re-hired on 35-hour contracts, in a move the council says will save half a million pounds.

Tabling a motion urging the council to look for alternative ways of saving money, Labour councillor Richard Udall said staff were “naturally upset, angry and possibly resentful”.

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Speaking at a full council meeting on Thursday, (September 12), he said: “This is counter-productive. It will cost us more money than it saves.

“Some departments are losing the equivalent of more than a day a week. You can’t cut pay and hour and expect people to work harder.”

Cllr Udall disputed the amount the council will save, saying it could be “maybe £300,000”.

“This is an outdated, old-fashioned and nasty way to treat loyal employees. It’s so bad it is being made illegal,” he told councillors, adding: “You will have to live with this on your consciences.”

Cllr Udall was referencing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s promise to ban fire and rehire within 100 days of taking office.

Deputy council leader Marcus Hart said in response: “Nice try. Why let the truth get in the way of a good story? You paint a picture of 1980s Labour-led Liverpool. We are not nasty and mean.”

But he admitted: “We rely on the goodwill of our staff, many of whom work far in excess of their contracted hours. We say thank you.”

Cllr Hart, speaking on behalf of the ruling Tory administration, accused Cllr Udall of “scaremongering” and said fire and rehire was a “legal and lawful mechanism”, adding that the new contracts for affected employees would come into force on October 12.

“It’s nonsense to say we can stop this,” he said. “The chief executive is executing the will of this council.”

Labour’s Lynn Denham said it wasn’t too late to reverse the process and said staff had not failed or underperformed.

Lib Dem councillor Dan Boatright-Green said various employees have raised concerns with him but also fear they will lose their job if they are found to be complaining.

Cllr Udall’s motion was supported by Labour, Lib Dem and Green councillors, plus independent councillor Tom Wells.

But it was voted down by Conservative councillors, Reform UK’s Bill Hopkins and independent councillor Mike Rouse.