ANGRY home care workers in Neath Port Talbot have launched a union- backed campaign to halt what they say is the privatisation of the service.

The council employs 346 workers in the home care sector, but campaigners argue they are being sidelined in favour of agency staff.

The council has strongly rejected the claim.

But Suzanne Prosser, Unison steward and homecare worker, said: "Home carers employed by the council are having their hours cut while private home care contractors employed by the council are being given more work.

"This is basically privatisation of the service and contractors are making money at the expense of the clients and us."

She said people receiving care had made it clear they would prefer to have local home carers who are employed by the council, but they are not being given a choice on the issue.

"We are not going to take it lying down.

"We will call on our local politicians to speak up and back our campaign to stop the privatisation of home care services," pledged Ms Prosser.

Unison regional organiser Eddie Gabrielsen said they hoped to highlight the benefits of retaining in-house home care services.

However, he said if a resolution could not be reached, campaigners would have to seek political support.

"If that runs into the general election, then that is what we will have to do," he said.

Out-sourced

"Experience has shown us that service delivery suffers if home care services are out-sourced, as do the employment conditions for staff," said Mr Gabrielsen.

Claire Marchant, the council's head of Community Care Services, denied agency staff were being favoured.

"We are not cutting contracted hours and the proportion of services delivered by the independent sector has not increased," she said.

Ms Marchant said the council is aiming to deliver better value for money in home care provision by ensuring "an appropriate balance between in-house and approved independent sector provision."

She added that the council is in the process of modernising in-house home care services as part of its programme to increase support to people in their own homes.

"The reality is that the council spends £7.5 million on its in- house service and £3.6 million on independent sector domiciliary services, so there is far greater investment in in-house services than external providers," said Ms Marchant.