COUNCIL leader Martin Rooney branded the SNP a “complete shambles” after opposition leader Jonathan McColl accused Labour of running the council “like a private company”.

Cllr McColl’s comments related to figures showing fewer workers on stable contracts and more council staff taking early retirement or voluntary severance.

The number of employees released through early retirement or voluntary severance has more than doubled from 19 in 2014/15 to 45 in 2015/16.

A council spokesperson said positions are not replaced when an employee takes voluntary severance or early retirement. In total, the council employed 64 fewer people from year to year.

Cllr McColl hopes the “damage” caused is not “irreparable”.

He said: “I can sympathise with the administration making savings through restructuring, voluntary redundancy and early retirements, but they are neglecting to consider the negative effects on services as part of their decision-making.

“In the last few months alone they have been forced to overturn damaging changes made in education delivery that caused strike action and a decision to reduce the number of welfare rights officers.

“As a council, we have a duty to deliver the best possible services to local people with the resources we have but Labour are running the council like a private company and are only interested in the financial side of things.

“We have less than a year now before our communities [have] the opportunity to vote for a change [of] administration. I only hope that the damage being done by Labour does not prove to be irreparable.”

Cllr Rooney said despite year on year cuts from the Scottish Government, the council protected “front line jobs and public services”.

He said: “The evidence demonstrates that we are seeing the biggest ever investment in people, infrastructure and our communities.

“The SNP opposition under Councillor McColl’s weak [leadership] have been a complete shambles.

“They are devoid of ideas, they lack any moral courage and they duck tough decisions at every turn.

“Under the previous SNP administration, 800 jobs were cut, pensioners and disabled residents were made to pay £52 for the grass cutting service, and West Dunbartonshire Council had the worst unemployment in the whole of the UK.

“Any notion that the SNP under Cllr McColl’s leadership have anything positive to contribute to the strategic progress of our area has long since passed.”

A corporate services committee document attributed the increase of voluntary redundancy and retirements to a “more focused, targeted approach to early release in line with service requirements”.

Of council new hires, seven per cent more are on fixed-term contracts than the previous year.

More short-term contracts could be the reason for the turnover of council staff rising to 9.63 per cent from just 1.33 per cent in 12 months.

Cllr Jim Bollan said: “The consequences of the cut in the full time front line workforce can be seen as services take longer to respond to requests from constituents.”

A council spokesperson said the “actual composition of the workforce by contract type remains static” and when all existing council workers are taken into consideration, only one per cent more staff were employed on fixed-term contracts.

Council leader Martin Rooney said: “With around 5,000 staff, it’s important the council can continue to offer its vital services to our residents, even when it faces unforeseen circumstances, so can engage casual and supply workers.

“These and fixed term contracts suit many workers including students, semi-retired and those with childcare commitments as they provide flexibility.”