A COUNCIL which proposed a raft of redundancies due to financial pressures from the coronavirus crisis is now seeking to furlough staff across five departments.
Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has written to numerous staff informing them of plans for their posts to be furloughed.
The council intends to furlough personnel in leisure, arts and culture, community centres, planning and building control.
[ READ MORE: Council to lay off 73 staff due to coronavirus funding pressuresOpens in new window ]
It comes after Stormont communities minister Deirdre Hargey confirmed that councils can apply to furlough non-essential workers under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).
Last week, Antrim and Newtownabbey council had claimed the UK-wide scheme was "not expected to be used by local authorities" in announcing proposals to make 73 staff redundant.
A decision on 46 of the jobs has been deferred, but the remaining 27 agency workers are still being laid off.
The council said it has asked agencies to furlough them. It did not answer questions on whether it has given a commitment to agencies that those workers would be re-employed following the pandemic.
A council spokeswoman said in a statement: "Having explored all options and following consultation with the trade unions, it is regrettable that 27 agency workers are deemed not essential to the operation of the council at this time and have been released.
"Following recent confirmation that councils in Northern Ireland may have limited access to the government's job retention scheme (furlough scheme), the council is in the process of furloughing employees within leisure, arts and culture, planning, community centres and building control."
Some staff facing redundancy had previously been classed by the council as 'key workers'.
The council said that "we are now in a different situation and face an unprecedented financial challenge".
It will "continue to plan for the urgent action it may need to take", and will consider its position again within the next fortnight.
CJRS aims to prevent redundancies by allowing employers to apply for a grant to cover most of the wages for staff who are 'furloughed' or placed on temporary leave.
It is understood the council's furlough application is being backdated to March 19.
Natalie Shiel from Nipsa said the union was seeking further information, but welcomed that the council was now looking at furloughing options.
She said the council "seemed to have jumped the gun" in announcing redundancy plans.
The Unite union's regional officer Kieran Ellison said workers should be "furloughed on full pay, whether they are temporary or permanent".
SDLP councillor Ryan Wilson, whose party opposed the council's redundancy plans, welcomed the clarification on furlough scheme eligibility.
He said staff have faced "distress and anxiety" and that "we need to seriously re-evaluate the way in which we treat our workers".
