A spat has broken out between Unison and Doncaster Council after the union claimed the local authority was about to cut 70 jobs in children and young people's services.
According to Unison, the redundancies would be part of Doncaster's plans to make £7.7m "efficiency savings".
"We believe there are two fundamental points," said Unison regional organiser Robin Symonds. "First, the children and young people of Doncaster deserve much better than to have their services cut. Second, the children's service workforce has suffered knock after knock and at a time when they could do with a lift, they received a letter two weeks before Christmas telling them that their jobs are at risk.
"This is the last thing they needed and it makes you wonder what the council is doing."
Doncaster disputes Unison's claims. A spokesperson said she had no idea how Unison had come up with their figures.
"There are no proposals to cut the total budget for children's services," said Nick Jarman, director of children's services. "We are proposing to adjust the way we currently spend. Safeguarding children is our number one priority and this, along with children's social care, has been historically under-resourced and under-sized."
Jarman said there may be "changes" to staff jobs and the council was consulting staff on these proposals.
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