Coventry children's workers threaten strike

Children's workers employed by Coventry Council have threatened to hold a strike over feared job losses.

Following a meeting on 29 April with the union Unite, staff in the authority's children's and family education service said they were prepared to take industrial action over proposed council budget cuts.

The authority has approved plans to cut the service's budget by up to £300,000, a move Unite said could put over 22 jobs at risk.

Unite also said that as a result of the cuts the council was trying to move children's workers into multi-disciplinary social care roles for which they are not qualified.

Unite's national secretary for community and youth workers Doug Nicholls said: "We are determined that democracy and good sense will prevail. These jobs and services will not go. Skilled professionals and children's support will not be thrown on the scrap heap along with our manufacturing and public services."