UP to 100 Bury Council jobs could be axed as part of massive budget cuts, union leaders claim.

The prediction from Unison follows the launch of a huge borough-wide public consultation on how town hall bosses might save £15.8 million in the next financial year, starting in April.

At a meeting in Radcliffe last Thursday, council official Steve Kenyon said £3.2 million would be saved by changing staffing arrangements, but refused to say how much of that would come from job cuts.

Previously, a council report said £600,000 savings would come from changing workers' terms and conditions.

Cllr Matt Bailey said that would leave £2.6 million still to be saved and he asked Mr Kenyon how many positions were for the chop.

Mr Kenyon, the council's assistant director of resources, told the meeting of Radcliffe Township Forum at Radcliffe Civic Suite: "It's not known yet.

"When we're doing any staff restructuring - first we'll look at the voluntary route.

"If that doesn’t get us where we need to be, we do look at compulsory redundancies.

"That is absolutely the last resort. It's for that reason we don't put a number on it, because we don't want to scaremonger people."

But critics said speculation on the number of proposed job cuts was inevitable once the council revealed the £3.2 million figure.

After the meeting, Bury Unison branch secretary Steve Morton said: "They have done the maths so there must be an answer to that question.

"If you take that £2.6 million figure and look at a reasonable average wage and do the sums, you're looking at up to 100 jobs.

"As well as putting those people out of work, it would have a massive impact on the workforce that is left and have a direct effect on the council's ability to provide services."

At the meeting, the council's deputy leader Cllr Rishi Shori highlighted the fact that the Government had reduced the council's budget by £53 million since April 2011 and that it was important he and his colleagues were honest with residents.

"It is 'cuts cuts cuts'. There is no magic solution out of this," said Cllr Shori.

He added that the council was being as innovative as possible in terms of service delivery.

"I know that, working together, there are ways of maintaining public services, but it will be hard."

According to the consultation document, the council intends to save £3.42 million by delivering services differently.

For example, by closing seven children’s centres and opening them up as nurseries operated by the private or voluntary sectors.

Another £3.37 million will be saved by applying for more grants; £662,000 will be saved by stopping some services altogether; and £200,000 would be saved by better utilising the voluntary sector.

Providing services for other organisations will earn the council £2 million.

Mr Chambers gave an example, saying the town hall is now providing pay roll services to a sixth-form college in Lincolnshire and security services for Bury companies.

Another £862,000 will be saved due to more recycling, while £726,000 will be saved by "managing assets" which could include the sale of unused council property, and £1.32 million will be saved by getting better deals on the products and services the council buys.

Bury Council leader, Cllr Mike Connolly, said in the consultation document: "Yet again, we feel strongly that Bury has been treated unfairly by the way that the Government distributes its money because many similar councils receive significantly more funding per head, and have experienced lower grant reductions.

"We are continuing to lobby the Government about this under our Fair Deal for Bury campaign."

The consultation runs until January 17 and the budget will be decided on February 25.

To view the consultation document and have your say.: visit tinyurl.com/buryplanforchange2015

You can also take part by calling 0161 253 5696, e-mailing budget201516@bury.gov.uk, or by writing to Budget 201516, Bury Council, Knowsley Street, Bury, BL9 0SW.