UNION chiefs today pledged to fight to keep school jobs in local authority control.

The vow came after it was revealed posts could be switched to private firms as part of the £170million overhaul of secondary education in Burnley and Pendle.

Officials for public service union Unison said they would lobby to make sure support staff remained in Local Education Authority employment rather than switching to private companies - which may happen if a Private Finance Initiative is used to fund the scheme.

Under the terms of many PFI schemes non-teaching workers such as caretakers, cleaners and catering staff are transferred to private contracts. Teaching staff are not affected.

But there are concerns that terms and conditions of work enjoyed under an LEA contract could be altered by a private firm.

Under a PFI scheme, a capital project such as a school, hospital or housing estate, has to be designed, built, financed and managed by the private sector under a contract that typically lasts for 30 years.

The private company will be regularly paid from public money, depending on its performance throughout that period.

Unison branch secretary Carol Lukey said: "If PFI is confirmed as the way the new schools will be funded then we will be making representations that all support staff in the schools remain employed by Lancashire County Council.

"The main reason for wanting to keep support staff in-house is that there is no guarantee national terms and conditions applicable in the public sector will apply under a private contract.

"It will be much more satisfactory for staff to be employed by the local authority as services are delivered better."

Earlier this week the National Union of Teachers raised concerns that taxpayers could end up paying over the odds if private money was used to fund the revamp of schools.

The NUT, which represents 430 members in Burnley, said it feared education would not be the top priority for private firms.

County bosses have said a PFI deal is the only way the ambitious scheme under Building Schools for the Future will become reality.

The county council's plans to overhaul high schools in Burnley and Pendle involve demolishing the eight existing schools and replacing them with five state-of-the-art new facilities.

Under the new plans, Burnley has been divided into four quarters with each "quarter" housing a new school. Children will have to go to the school which serves their quarter.

Four new community high schools, an RC high school and a community college for 16 to 19-year-olds will all be created in Burnley, while two new high schools will be created in Pendle.

Each of the new community high schools will have 1,050 places, and the new RC high school will cater for 1,250 pupils.

No plans have been included for a Church of England secondary school.