As the city of Rotterdam faces yet more budget cuts, local opposition party Leefbaar Rotterdam (Liveable Rotterdam) is calling for a reduction in the working hours of municipal staff as an alternative to funding cutbacks.

The party claims its proposal would lead to savings of around 30 million euros a year.

Leefbaar Rotterdam councillor Ronald Buijt says the cost of years of financial mismanagement by council parties - the conservative VVD and Labour (PvdA) - are now being passed on to the taxpayer. “Cuts will be made in free public transport for the elderly and security. Citizens also have to pay more tax.” 

Leefbaar Rotterdam wants to roll back the council’s budget cuts and replace them with cuts in council workers' working hours. “The reduction of working hours would apply only to administrative jobs, not to people at service desks, town wardens and street sweepers,” the Leefbaar Rotterdam councillor said.

Rotterdam is in dire straits. At the end of September, the city council announced it would have to implement cuts of 23 million euros in 2012. This amount comes on top of the 180 million euros announced earlier this year.

(gsh/tf/imm)

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