DAYS off sick are costing Bolton's cash-starved social services chiefs £1.25 million.

Manual workers are taking an average of 20 days a year off white collar staff 14.

Now councillors are calling on bosses to get tough with staff.

Labour Cllr Guy Harkin, deputy council leader, said: "This is totally unacceptable.

"We have had to make the difficult decision to close two old people's homes to save money and then we read this.

"I believe we should have a report on sickness levels to this committee every quarter and if they do not improve, then we have to take action." A report to the social services committee revealed that £1 million of the social services budget goes on sickness payments and a further £250,000 in cover cost.

Stress, back problems, physical injury, arthritic conditions and chest infections feature highly on the nature of illness.

The report adds that "low morale, particularly in areas where job security has been uncertain, has also contributed to higher levels of absence."

Social services chiefs say they are not going to be taking "draconian measures" to improve attendance, there will be regular monitoring meetings.

In additon, there will be efforts to improve the computerised recording of statistics. Cllr Harkin added: "We need to know whether these figures are made up of people off with an illness for two or three weeks or from those taking the occasional Friday and Monday off." It was revealed last month that sickness cost Bolton Council as a whole £5 million - as much as its total package of cuts this year.

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