The cowardly council deliberately made the announcement late this afternoon to try and avoid more damaging headlines in today's newspapers for the third day running.

Letters were sent out to the 400 care workers, who are on the lowest wages of all council staff, from the £195,000-a-year Executive Director Tony Hunter.

As part of its carefully-timed spin operation, the council's statement claims there is less demand for the care workers.

"This is because all new cases are handled by the independent sector, which has more flexibility to handle calls at times when people who use the service need them," it claims.

"The city council's in-house staff are contracted to provide 10,000 hours of care per week, but are only providing 5,000 hours - which means 5,000 hours remain unused. "

But the real reason of course is very simple: getting rid of staff saves the council money.

Why does the city council need to save money?

Because it needs £29million to pay for Capital of Culture.

So here we are witnessing the disgraceful spectacle of the city's poorest paid workers, mainly women, being made the sacrificial lambs for 2008.

While the hangers-on and the VIP's swig their free booze and munch their canapes at yet another civic reception, the care workers are being thrown out on their ears.

It is disgusting and disgraceful - a cynical, dishonest, cost-cutting exercise, being dressed up as some kind of 'efficiency' drive.

We sincerely hope that the care workers and their elderly clients will take on the city council and force them to stop.

How much will the council raise by cutting the workforce in half and slashing the service provided by half?

And how many bottles of wine and canapes will they buy with it, instead?