Councils could axe 500,000 staff without impact

UK councils could do the same amount of work with 500,000 fewer staff if they matched the productivity of private firms, a report has claimed.

Management consultancy Knox D'Arcy which carried out 1,855 workers' surveys, said private firms had better systems to ensure targets were met.

Public sector union Unison said the study was "misleading, unrepresentative and unhelpful".