The move has left the union that represents parish manual workers angry.
They say that there has been no consultation and are fearful that it will erode pension rights traditionally enjoyed by parish staff.
However, town Constable Simon Crowcroft argued that at the last two rates assemblies the parish administration had been told to look at this move to save money.
‘We are only doing what ratepayers have asked us to do,’ said the Constable.
But Nick Corbel of the Transport and General Workers Union described the move as ‘outrageous’.
‘The first our members knew of this was when they read the parish magazine Town Crier.
The Constable has not had the courtesy or decency to discuss it with us,’ he said.
Mr Corbel said that his members found the proposal ‘very worrying’ as the benefits from the Public Employees Contributory Retirement Scheme (PECRS) were dependent on the scheme’s income.
However, the Constable disputes the claim, saying that the parish had discussed the move with representatives from PECRS and that a mechanism existed to ensure that benefit levels are protected.
