Moray Council:- Call on Buckie parents to show support for under-threat school staff
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Parents, grandparents and carers are being encouraged to show support for school office staff whose jobs are under threat.
Moray Council is currently carrying out a review of all its primaries and nurseries.
Under its proposals some office staff will lose their jobs, while others will have their hours cut or their roles downgraded.
In response, Cluny Primary parent council is holding a meeting tomorrow evening at Buckie Thistle Football Club to discuss the review's impact and to show support for school office staff.
Invited to attend are anyone with children, grandchildren, nephews or nieces at Cluny, Cullen, Portknockie, Findochty, Portessie, Millbank, St Peter’s or Portgorden primaries.
Sophie McWhirter, a member of Cluny parent council, is organising the meeting.
She said: "The fight has to come from the parents if something is going to be done about this.
"The office staff are not there because of the pay. They’re there because they care.
"They know who our children are.
"As parents it’s easy to take the office staff for granted when they’ve always been there.
"I'd hate to be in a position where they’re gone and we didn’t do anything about it."
Mrs McWhirter is also keen to hear what other parent councils from across the whole of Moray think about the review.
The local authority is aiming to save £100,000 by imposing a range of measures that will affect 64 posts.
A total of 15 clerical jobs are set to be ‘deleted’ under the proposals.
In addition, a further 49 administrative staff are due to have either their hours or pay reduced.
Last week a group of school office staff who belong to Unison met outside Moray Council's annexe building in Elgin to voice their worries, with many stating they felt angry and upset over the review's proposals.
The union is particularly concerned that low-paid workers – predominantly women – would be hit.
In a statement issued last week the local authority said it would not be appropriate to comment while the review is still ongoing.
School office staff have until June 2 to give their feedback on the council’s proposals.
The meeting in Buckie will begin at 5pm on Wednesday, March 25, inside the football club’s Victoria Lounge.
