West Berkshire Council has been criticised for planning to cut four jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Councillors and the trade union UNISON say the Conservative-run council is looking to make four people redundant, including someone who was shortlisted for an Employee of the Year award in 2018.

The council says it cannot comment and has not revealed whether it is a cost-cutting move.

It has lost millions of pounds of income during the Covid-19 pandemic, as it has been forced to close car parks and leisure centres and offer council tax discounts and business rates holidays.

However, the council has received more than £9.5 million of government funding to cover those losses and in the first three months of the 2020/21 financial year it managed to save £590,000.

Councillor Carolyne Culver (Green Party) said: “It is immoral to make four members of staff redundant in the middle of a pandemic when unemployment is rising and people are struggling to find any work, let alone work in which they are qualified and experienced.

"The arguments for the redundancies are very weak and the choice of employees could suggest the proposals are politically motivated.

"One of the members of staff was nominated for Employee of the Year in 2018.

"We urge the council leader to intervene, and the senior managers to abandon their proposals.

"If and when the redundancies proposal goes to the Executive we intend to call-in the decision to the Oversight and Scrutiny Management Commission."

Nick Carter, chief executive of the council, said: “The council is not in a position to comment as this is a part two report.

"As such, it would be a breach of confidentiality for us to do so at this stage."