Squeezing school meals statt

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IN COMMON with many local authorities, Humberside County Council is facing a financial crisis.

The council is presently discussing cuts in services and rate increases. Three Labour councilors walked out of a meeting a few weeks ago rather than register a vote for cuts, but the majority of the Labour group is already implementing cuts.

NUPE and GMWU negotiated a reduction in hours from the county council of one hour, from 40 to 39, with no loss of pay - but the county council has demanded that staff work 22% harder.

lan Dolphin spoke to Thelma Caselton, a cook at one of Hull's senior high schools and a member -of NUPE.

"Each manual worker employed by the county council in schools and social services" , said Thelma, "has had their working time cut by 1½ minutes in every hour. Instead of using this to employ extra stati, the council has ordered cleaners and meals staff to work 22% harder to make sure the same work is done.

'"No overtime is to be giveli, and no extra staff taken on.

"A good example of what this means is the social services drivers. The drivers are supposed to stop work School meals jobs are threatene one hour earlier on Fridays - so they have to either work for nothing or leave children collected from special schools by the side of the road.

"Cleaners are being forced to leave some jobs in schools because they don't have time to đô them. This creates a possible health hazard.

"NUPE suggested that all the time reduction should be taken on Friday, so that we get a long weekend. But some cooks and caretakers have instructed their staff to take a few minutes each-day. We are not working the 22% harder that they ask for, but leaving work.

•There have been a lot of threats made by caretakers and cooks - who are also trade union members - aged by Tory cuts - and councillor:

ainst members taking this action. In one school, a cook who conveniently had the Friday off left instructions that no work was to be left until Monday. When I went to see what was happening, the ladies said they had to do the work because Mrs X would be angry when she got back.

'The same thing is being done in many kitchens and schools. Cooks are telling staff that they will lose their jobs. Caretakers are telling cleaners that contract cleaners will be brought in to do their jobs.

"i'm working class, and I'm beginning to think a lot of councillors are Tories in Labour clothes"

Since this interview, some Labour councillors have tried a different method of implementing cu ts. In the first week of the ar tion, the tront page of the Hull Daily Mail carried a hea idline on the threat' of food poisoning in school kitchens This was the brain ichild of one particular right -wing Labour councillor, who issued a statement to • the press that if food pois was suspected in any so hool, they would not hesital te to call in private contra ctors to provide the school n reals. This was the first mei ntion of food-poisoning!

All Humberside La bour Party wards and consti tuency parties should pass re solutions supporting the ar action of the ancillary staff condemning the co county council Labour gi roup. County Council empl ›yees should prepare " for any r clothes'