MEALITANT TENDENCY

JAMIE Oliver's school meals revolution is under threat - from dinner ladies who may go on strike.

They are furious at not being paid for extra hours they are forced to work to provide his new menu for schoolkids.

They say they are working 25 per cent more hours, without being paid overtime, to bring the star's freshly-cooked food to pupils' plates.

The crisis could explode into strikes in the London borough of Greenwich where the chef filmed his hit TV series Jamie's School Dinners.

It would be a major blow to Jamie's dream of spreading his healthy meals all over Britain.

Several dinner ladies in the area have told Nora Sands, Jamie's popular sidekick in the series, that they are fed up with getting nothing more for the extra workload.

Confidentiality clauses in their contracts prevent them speaking, but their plight has been taken up by union Unison.

Onay Kasab, Unison's secretary in Greenwich, said pounds 280million pledged by the Government in March was "simply not enough" to cover the cost of longer hours or employing more staff.

He said: "Kitchen staff are typically contracted to work 20 hours a week, but they are often having to work 25 hours.

"They do not get paid overtime, while sick pay, holidays or other benefits are being based on their contracted hours rather than what they are actually working

"We have told Greenwich Council it cannot continue.

"The staff feel so strongly that industrial action is a possibility." He stressed: "Cooking the Jamie Oliver way takes more time. There is much more preparation to do, like chopping vegetables.

"It's abundantly clear to everybody, including councils, that the money promised by the Government is not enough."

Morale, he added, is close to "rock bottom". But he said: "The workers are keen to train to implement the project. They are really up for it."

The problem of extra hours was raised in Jamie's School Dinners on TV in February.

Greenwich Council said it would give a further pounds 150,000 to fund an extra hour per day.

They have the target date of October 1 to offer Jamie's healthy menu to every pupil in all 81 of Greenwich's schools.

One dinner lady at a school in Eltham, near Greenwich, said: "If we're made to deliver his meals for no more money, we will walk out. We will strike if we have to."

Before Jamie's campaign Greenwich Council spent 37p per meal, which he ridiculed as "the cost of a packet of crisps". Now it says it spends 50p-60p.

Council spokeswoman Katrina Delaney said: "We categorically deny that staff are working 25 hours and not being paid for that.

"We are confident that the situation is sustainable."

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