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Hours cut for school meals staff
HUNDREDS of school catering staff are set to have their working hours reduced after plans to help save £260,000 were approved.
The decision by Hartlepool Borough Council's cabinet committee will affect around 300 members of staff.
A re-negotiation of food contracts and standardised hours in the council's schools catering division is set to save 50,000 towards the 260,000 figure.
A new banding system for school kitchens, based on the take-up of meals being served within the schools, will lead to standardised hours for staff.
Council officers say the number of cooks will increase, but the actual working hours will go down for the majority of the staff.
Denise Ogden, assistant director of neighbourhood services, said: "To efficiently manage this rationalisation of hours, we propose a standardisation of start times for cooks and assistant cooks.
"The banding will also standardise the hours required in each kitchen and ensure staff coverage at critical core times. Numbers of staff will increase from current staff levels, although actual staff hours worked will decrease for the majority of the staff."
Councillors also approved plans to slash security costs by restructuring contracts.
The council employs a security firm to provide 24-hour coverage of parks and recreational grounds, cemeteries and public toilets at a cost of 125,000.
But cabinet members approved plans to restructure the contract so there is no security coverage during certain daytime hours, in a bid to save 40,000.
A further 15,000 will also be saved by removing a security guard post at the Civic Centre.
Council officers said CCTV inside the Civic Centre reception and improved swipe card technology on the doors provide a deterrent, but a review will take place every three months.
A team leader post in the building cleaning team is also set to go after an application was made for early retirement by the member of staff.
Another team leader will have their hours increased by seven hours to give an overall saving of 20,000.
A further 80,000 has already been saved after two operational manager positions were merged into one in the building maintenance department.
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Weather for Hartlepool
Sunday 27 May 2012
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