Cleaners fighting cost-cutting plans to axe their hours for a second time have warned the authority is putting the health of children at risk.
Moray Council wants to cut school cleaners’ hours by 18% as it desperately tries to save £12 million to avoid bankruptcy.
But at a stormy meeting attended by cleaners and union representatives yesterday, councillors were urged to think twice about the proposals.
They warned that without proper provision, pupils and teachers would be more likely to pick up sickness bugs.
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The local authority previously cut cleaners’ hours by 20% seven years ago, meaning there is only half the team working on Tuesday and Thursdays.
But last night, a council spokesman said if the cuts are implemented, they would work to ensure schools remained “safe and hygienic places to learn”.
Jane Stables, cleaning area supervisor for the region, believes that an 18% cut would be “unworkable” and could cause widespread illness.
She said: “This is a decision that will affect the entire community and it seems like the council are taking from the bottom all the time.
“A lot of the cleaners are on benefits and stuff like that, or on their own and they are always the bottom of the pile.
“I feel as though if we don’t do something about it just now, there will be a lot more sickness outbreaks, a lot more school closures, a lot more parents staying at home and losing out on their pay and other jobs because of this 18% cut.
“I want to make a stand for the cleaning system as I am going to be losing about five hours a week.”
Ms Stables also warned that the cuts could even result in more staff shortages – with teachers likely to pick up bugs from pupils if the school was not thoroughly cleaned.
She said: “Cleaners are needed to keep school clean as there are lots of bugs going about, with germs everywhere and already there is not enough staff.
“One primary school in Elgin has over 600 kids going there, with four primary one classes in it and a nursery so it needs cleaned constantly.
“There is currently six cleaning staff who cover that and if more hours are cut how would it be possible for us to maintain that school?”
Lossiemouth High School cleaner Ceri Cremin believes council officers of underestimating the work that goes into ensuring schools are up-to-scratch.
She said: “They are underestimating the amount of hours we put in, and if this goes ahead there will be a big drop in cleaning standards, with major hygiene issues occurring and bad health and safety.
“We care about the children in the schools and if the hours are cut the schools will get worse as the standard of care for the children and staff would not be good enough.”
She was echoed by Debbie Scholes, a cleaner at Milne’s Primary School in Fochabers.
She said: “In Moray, we want to get it right for every child and we are meant to look after them and provide a safe environment for them but cutting cleaning hours won’t do that.”
A Moray Council spokeswoman said: “If and when cleaning-related savings are agreed and implemented, we’ll work closely with schools to provide the best service possible to ensure our schools remain safe and hygienic places to learn and work in.
“We’re in the process of a statutory consultation with staff and unions, and a further budget meeting takes place in mid-December.”
Moray Council leader Graham Leadbitter said: “The budget proposals clearly have an impact on a wide range of council services and it is important for us to get feedback from those affected.
“We have received a large number of representations from a wide variety of employees including yesterday where the council cleaners expressed their views and that will contribute to the final budget.”