BY MIKE CHIPCHASE

DINNER ladies in Redcar and Cleveland primary schools are threatening strike action over plans to reduce their working hours.

A union ballot of all staff in primary school kitchens in Redcar and Cleveland is due to be completed today.

If the Unison members vote in favour, a one-day walk-out will be called on Thursday.

A council spokesman said contingency plans were in hand should the strike go ahead.

He said: "We will send out letters to all parents whose children would be affected, advising them to make sure they have a packed lunch on Thursday."

The strike threat is the latest episode in an ongoing dispute between the council and school cooks.

The council wants to reduce labour costs in order to cut its school meals subsidy. It says it has become a straight choice between teachers in classrooms or cooks in school kitchens.

The current charge for school meals in Redcar and Cleveland is £1.45 for primary children and £1.60 for those in secondary schools

Labour costs amount to £1.47 for primary and £1.44 for secondary, while the cost of food is 38p for primary and 63p for secondary.

The council is aiming to cut its labour costs to an average of £1.10 per meal in primary schools.

The total 2005-6 subsidy is expected to be £756,000, in addition to the cost of providing free school meals, estimated at £966,000 this year.

Coun Valerie Halton, lead member for children's services, said: "We are all concerned that a series of issues is being used to create misinformation across the borough.

"People need to understand exactly what is happening.

"Firstly, this financial year, the school catering service will need to be subsidised by £700,000. This money comes from school budgets, so becomes a choice between staff in the classroom or staff in the dining room.

"The second issue, which has been more widely publicised, is the ongoing issue over the hours worked in school kitchens.

"We need to make absolutely clear that these hours are based on exceptionally generous and now outdated guidelines, based on a time when much more preparation was done in individual kitchens.

"If we can reduce these hours and compensate staff accordingly, schools will have more money to spend on high-quality food ingredients, as well as staff in the classroom. That's got to be the best outcome for children."

A spokesman for Unison was unable to comment as the D&S Times went to press.