THE Joint Council for Wales has today issued a warning on the impact that funding cuts will have on communities and the local government workforce in Wales.

The council, which is made up of local councillors, trades union representatives from Unison, the GMB and Unite as well as senior local government officials, focuses on local government workforce issues.

In a statement, the body called on Welsh Government to provide a "realistic level" of funding for local government in order to prevent long-term damage to both the Welsh economy and communities.

Councils face an extra £220million shortfall in their budgets for the coming financial year, the body said.

Peter Rees, chairman of the employer’s side of the Joint Council said local councils are being forced to carry a "disproportionate share" of central government’s austerity programme, and said council finances are now at breaking point.

"There is a very real danger that further deep cuts will lead to the systematic dismantling of local public services and effectively endanger the Welsh Government’s own aspirations for public service delivery," he said.

"We urgently need to acknowledge the value of our irreplaceable local government workforce and services, and desperately need a review of how they are to be funded in the future.”

The Joint Council agreed to seek the support of the Welsh Local Government Association for a joint lobby on Welsh Government for an improved financial settlement.

The Argus has contacted Welsh Government for a comment.