COUNCIL employees today hit out after bosses announced 30 jobs could be axed from its direct services department.

Blackburn with Darwen Council yesterday started consultation with staff and unions on redundancies in the department's building division, which employs 130.

Council bosses said the decision followed a reduction in work from some contracts won by the department.

Councillor Andy Kay, executive member for regeneration, said it was "with regret" that the cuts would be made and assured staff and unions that efforts would be made to find alternative employment before job losses came into effect.

But one employee -- who did not wished to be named -- said people faced the axe. He said: "We all think there will be redundancies because it is harder to re-employ people at the council these days since Capita took over.

"Some people have been here 30 or 40 years and are devastated by this.

"It's a massive blow and affects everyone from the management down."

Coun Kay said: "The majority of the redundancies are as a result of other organisations for whom we work on a contract basis, cutting back on their own spending. The department needs to remain competitive and needs to reduce its overheads to take into account the reduction in income from these contracts.

"We had hoped that work levels would be restored when new contracts started on October 1 and redundancies could be avoided.

"However work levels at these other organisations have not increased.

"A thirty-day consultation period with the unions and staff began on October 2.

"In the meantime we will continue to seek alternative work and negotiations are already taking place with other local employers to see if they can take on some staff.

He added that the 30 posts to go will be decided based on a number of criteria in the council's published policy.