SOCIAL workers at Southampton City Council are being paid a £1,400 bonus to stop them quitting in a dispute over pay cuts.

Council chiefs want to prevent an exodus of social workers when new contracts come in on Monday cutting the pay of council staff by between two and 5.5 per cent.

As few as a third of in demand social workers have signed up to the contracts, which has sparked nearly seven weeks of industrial action by up to 2,400 union members.

The £1,400 per year “market supplement” will be paid to child protection social workers and senior practitioners for up to six months whilst the council undertakes a full pay review to make sure it is paying competitive rates. They earn between £26,000 and £32,000 but other councils and agencies pay more.

Children's services boss councillor Jeremy Moulton said: “We are mitigating risk and recognising the competitive nature of the market.”

But unions have accused the council of trying to divide staff and said the payment will merely restore pay being lost as a result of a proposed 4.5 per cent cut.

Unison regional organiser Andy Straker added: “It is clear that the Conservatives are panicking as the majority of children's social workers have still not accepted the new contracts and a number have informed their managers that they will not be reporting for work on 11 July.”