SIX posts for crossing patrol staff to help children across busy roads outside York schools are currently empty.

Recruitment problems are partly due to a cut in retainer pay brought in by City of York Council, a union leader says.

The shortage means there are six vacancies out of 47 sites in the city and some of them have been empty for months, following retirements.

Council bosses have tried advertising through letters to parents, posters in the local areas and through the Jobcentre, but with no luck.

The job pays £4.96 an hour and usually involves a shift of 30 to 45 minutes in the morning and a similar shift in the afternoon.

Linda Wilkinson, Unison convenor and lollipop lady, said when the "single status" agreement came into force in spring 2000, staff lost their traditional full retainer fee during school holidays, meaning instead of being paid 52 weeks a year, they are now paid for 45.2 weeks a year.

So although they have since received hourly pay rises, the retainer reduction affected their overall amount of pay.

Linda said: "We've always had problems and this isn't uncommon, but I said at the time that if they took away the full retainer pay staff wouldn't stay and they would have trouble recruiting."

New Earswick Primary School has been without a school crossing patrol outside the school on Haxby Road, since summer 2000.

New Earswick head teacher Carole Farrar said: "We're obviously concerned about it. Road safety is very important. We've tried to find someone through school and the parish council have tried to find somebody as well."

At St Oswald's Primary, in Fulford, which also has a vacancy, head teacher Paul Marks said: "I think the problem with recruitment is down to the split shift and poor pay.

"The roads themselves are becoming more dangerous and it is more important that we have people now. There is so much traffic generated, particularly in this area."

A spokesman for City of York Council said: "Our rates are based on those agreed nationally and, while in some areas there may be local agreements in force, what we pay in York is not unusual. Every authority in the country went through the single status process to harmonise working hours for all employees.

"In York, single status was only introduced after exhaustive negotiations between the council and trades unions. Our school crossing patrols get 45.2 weeks of pay for 39 weeks of work. Again, this is not unusual.

"We are committed to trying to fill vacancies whenever they occur. Recruitment is a national issue and we certainly don't share the view that it is just a question of money. Our patrols enjoy the flexibility the job gives outside the key hours of duty, as well as school holidays, and also get a great deal of job satisfaction.

Updated: 11:39 Thursday, November 29, 2001