UNION bosses are asking staff to explain the exodus of workers from Rossendale Council -- after it was revealed that nearly 15 per cent of jobs are now vacant or filled by temporary employees.

Now Unison, which has 350 members in the council's 500-plus workforce, is sending a questionnaire to all its members asking what problems they have.

In Unison's newsletter entitled 'staff voting with their feet' the union says it is concerned about low morale, existing staff covering for vacant posts for excessive periods of time, vacancies 'hidden' by the use of temporary or agency appointments and sickness.

At the joint consultative committee of staff and councillors in June, a report showed 13 vacancies -- a figure disputed by the union because of the number of posts filled by temporary staff.

At the September meeting some 72 vacant posts and posts filled by temporary staff were reported and the situation has not changed since.

Unison is also concerned that there is insufficient time to consult members on proposed restructuring of Rossendale council before decisions are made.

The newsletter says: "Unison members are extremely angry by the way councillors have ignored minuted agreements to consult the staff.

"Particularly as Unison offered to work with the councillors more than two months ago on a working party to consider departmental restructuring as we considered this to be the most effective and reasonable way forward in overcoming the current and longer term problems with staffing the council service provision."

One of the main reasons for staff shortages is that Rossendale traditionally offers lower salaries compared to other councils, but some posts have recently been regraded in an attempt to combat this problem.

The union representative did not want to comment further until results of the questionnaires had been collated early next year.

Rossendale Council chief executive Steven Hartley confirmed the number of posts vacant or filled by temporary staff.

He said because the council was restructuring it was difficult to fill full-time posts which could be affected by the reshuffle.

Mr Hartley said: "We really have struggled to get people in certain key posts and that is certainly the case in environmental health and planning.

"Temporary staff are not the solution, but services are being delivered."

He said a report on the situation would be going to a sub-committee in the next two to three weeks.

In Burnley there are 700 employees, 22 are temporary and there are six vacancies. In Pendle there are 668 employees, 26 are temporary and there are eight vacancies.