SCHOOL caretakers and cleaners employed by Jarvis in Huddersfield and Dewsbury could strike in a row over pay and conditions.

Public services unions Unison and the GMB are preparing to ballot about 300 members for strike action if Jarvis does not make its workers' pay equal to that earned by caretakers and cleaners employed by Kirklees Council.

Mike Forster, chief education steward of Kirklees Unison, said the union wants all caretakers to receive at least Grade 5 pay, backdated to last September.

He said Kirklees caretakers had already had pay grades increased from that date.

But he says Jarvis has said it will not honour this request, which Mr Forster says was submitted last November.

He added: "The two-tier workforce gap becomes ever wider.

"We are meeting caretakers this month and if we have not made progress with pay parity, the caretakers will be balloted for strike action.

"If Jarvis don't honour the pay settlement, caretakers have indicated they will strike," said Mr Forster.

One of the caretakers involved said: "None of us want to take strike action. Some of us have children at these schools and we don't want to effect their education.

"But all of us feel that there is no other way to get Jarvis to pay the money."

A spokesman for Jarvis denied that the company had received a pay claim.

He said: "We have not had a claim from the unions for a pay award.

"We are always reasonable and will sit down and talk to them," the spokesman added.