A SHAKE UP of council janitors in Glasgow is being planned to save half a million pounds.

Cordia, which employs the janitors in schools is planning to re-organise the service and cut more than 30 jobs.

The deal would see those remaining get a pay rise of up to just over £1000 in return for new working conditions.

The ‘Cordia Janitorial Reform’ review will mean staff will no longer be called janitors and instead will have their job title changes to “facilities assistants”.

Cordia plans to axe 33 jobs and create 30 new promoted posts of co-ordinators to manage “operational clusters” around the city.

It said there will be no compulsory redundancies and instead the jobs will be lost when people leave but not replaced or by staff switching to other roles within Cordia.

The plans have been presented to trade Unions representing janitors, who are currently involved in a long running dispute with the council over pay and conditions.

They have staged a series of strikes and protests in the action over a refusal to pay Working Context and Demands Payments to staff.

Last week they protested outside a Labour meeting where Jeremy Corbyn was speaking. He said he would raise it with the council leader.

Cordia said the plan is designed to save £515,000, but still meet the priority needs of the city’s schools..

The city will be split in to 30 Operational Clusters.

Andy Clark, Cordia director of services, said: “This reform provides a platform to develop a traditional service into a new, modern facilities management service that will place Cordia staff at the heart of the Glasgow community, and which will showcase Cordia staff and the vital services they deliver to the citizens of Glasgow as part of the Transforming Glasgow Agenda.

“We will work closely with education services during the implementation phase.”

Some janitors who live in a ‘tied house’ as part of their job will lose the accommodation as the council body says new ways of working mean there is seldom a need for an on-site live in presence.

It stated: “The tied housing model for janitors is historical and played an important role in ensuring security of school buildings. Recent innovations with the use of CCTV for premise monitoring; sophisticated alarms linked to manned control centres and a range of sensors and devices on heating systems means that janitors no longer need to be available 24/7.”

The new post of facilities assistants will work a 40 hour week, of flexible hours, with three hours contracted overtime in return for a salary of £22,487, arise of £1185, according to Cordia.