OXFORDSHIRE’S remaining youth workers are to go on strike again on Friday.

The county’s new early intervention hubs opened last week, and the Unite union said the title of “youth worker” is no longer recognised under the new system.

Branch chairman and Banbury youth worker Mike Beal said staff who were transferring to them should get the same nationally recognised terms and conditions.

Mr Beal, who is among council employees on gardening leave before he loses his job, said: “We are still trying to get Oxfordshire County Council to recognise the value of youth work and the youth worker profession. The new hubs have started and we have colleagues who have jobs in them, and our main demand at the moment is that if someone is employed to do youth work, they should be called a youth worker.”

As of September 1, seven new early intervention hubs were opened in East Oxford, Littlemore, Banbury, Bicester, Didcot, Abingdon and Witney, along with six satellite centres still offering some youth work in Blackbird Leys, Rose Hill, Barton, Donnington Bridge, Berinsfield and Kidlington.

But other council-run youth centres have been transferred to community groups and will be run by volunteers.