Monmouthshire axes 36 jobs in schools shake-up (From Free Press Series)

Monmouthshire axes 36 jobs in schools shake-up

1:10pm Tuesday 25th September 2012 in News

Monmouthshire Council has made 36 redundancies at its schools over the last year.

During the 2011/12 school year there were 22 voluntary redundancies and 14 compulsory redundancies, made up of teachers, assistants and maintenance staff from its primary and comprehensive schools.

One of the main areas of redundancy was from the closure of Green Lane and West End schools, in Caldicot, due to the opening of the new Dewstow Primary.

There were 12 staff at Green Lane and nine at West End, with seven of these laid off on August 31 for 14 people to work at the new school.

Those who took voluntary redundancy from other schools include Clive Haines, 59, who was lead caretaker at Caldicot Comprehensive and the town’s leisure centre since he began work there 27 years ago.

He said he enjoyed the job immensely, and despite his impending 60th birthday in November, is looking for a similar role.

A spokesman for Monmouthshire Council said that the redundancies have not led to any immediate savings, but will do in the long term.

He said: “It would be difficult to demonstrate any savings as the closure of two schools and the opening of another does save on staff salaries in the long term but it does cost initially in redundancies.”

Cabinet member for children and young people Cllr Liz Hacket Pain said: “Managing school budgets is a significant issue for all our schools in Monmouthshire.

“If redundancy processes are implemented the county council operates procedures which are fair and transparent and these are applied with consideration and empathy for those staff concerned.

“These procedures have been produced in consultation with trade unions and they have been adopted by all school governing bodies.”