THOUSANDS of school staff will be told this week how their wages will be affected in an equal pay review.

Of around 16,000 non-teaching staff under review around 15 per cent will see their wages cut with 13 per cent increasing, as a result of the controversial ‘equal pay’ review at Lancashire County Council.

Ged Fitzgerald, the chief executive of the council, denied union claims the move was a cost-cutting exercise, claiming it would cost the council £11million the first year.

Last month some 15,000 non-school staff were told of their fate with thousands told their wages would be slashed by up to 30 per cent.

County Hall bosses said that for the majority of the staff whose basic pay was decreasing, it would reduce by 10 per cent or less.

The average amount it would decrease by was £797, they said.

Trade union officials have declared a ‘dispute’.

But the council said a legal process would be put in place to introduce the new terms and conditions of employment by the start of August if an agree-ment has not been reached.

A council statement said: “We have already invited staff as part of this process to voluntarily sign up to the new terms and conditions.”

It added that staff who do not sign up will receive a letter giving them 90 days’ notice of dismissal and an offer of immediate re-engage-ment on the new terms and conditions.

A Unison spokes-man said a statement would come later in the week.