EMPLOYEES interested in taking voluntary redundancy or voluntary early retirement at Derbyshire County Council would leave by March next year.

The Derby Telegraph previously reported that the authority is asking more than 17,000 workers if they would accept "early release" as part of a bid to cut 2,000 jobs.

But union Unison has urged employees not to accept the offers until there have been more negotiations on what pay-offs they will get.

The authority says it needs to save up to £84.4 million over the next four financial years following the results of the Government's Comprehensive Spending Review.

It says 2,000 "full-time equivalent" jobs could go as a result of the cuts.

Letters have been sent out to about 17,300 staff asking if they would like to take voluntary redundancy or voluntary early retirement.

The letter says: "At the moment we're asking only for 'expressions of interest'.

"We can't give you any guarantee that your request for voluntary redundancy, voluntary early retirement or flexible retirement will be approved. We'll need to look at the pressures on the service and the cost and savings of letting you go."

A report from the office of chief executive Nick Hodgson singles out "social workers" as an example of a group "unlikely to be released because of service pressures".

It says it would be "desirable for employees to have left the county council's service by no later than March 31, 2011".

The document says the voluntary scheme "provides for actual pay up to a maximum of 30 weeks, depending on age and length of service".