A COMPANY that supplies meals to some schools in Cumbria has hit back at stinging criticism after it reduced the hours of some of its members of staff.

Trade union UNISON said the move by catering company Dolce was 'despicable' and would leave some people more than £300 a month worse off.

The union claimed that Dolce texted its staff to inform them of the reduction in their hours.

However, a spokesman for Dolce denied this, saying: "We support responsible trade unionism - however, on this occasion, UNISON have some of the important facts wrong.

"Due to a sporadic decrease of around 20 per cent nationally in the uptake of school dinners following the return to school in September, we have avoided redundancies by temporarily reducing the hours of some staff.

"This was done professionally by a securely-delivered letter following appropriate consultation.

"We are working cooperatively with schools, staff and parents to get children to enjoy our tasty school dinners."

Keith Bradley, North West schools organiser for UNISON, said the trade union was 'outraged by Dolce’s despicable behaviour' and was seeking legal advice.

“At a time when Marcus Rashford MBE is leading the way in our region by campaigning to provide free school meals in the holidays, the very company providing those meals is set to plunge its own low-paid, majority-women workforce into poverty with just over a month until Christmas," he said.

"We will support these key workers to fight this decision all the way.”