Last-ditch talks are set to be held in an effort to save jobs at an education centre cafe.

Council service provider Medway Norse had been consulting over cuts brought about by bringing in the £7.20 per hour National Living Wage, but they are now set to hold further meetings before axing staff.

GMB union protesters gathered outside Medway Council’s headquarters at Gun Wharf, Chatham, last week while the plans were discussed by the council’s business support overview and scrutiny committee.

Medway Labour leader Cllr Vince Maple read out an email from centre user Gail

Collingwood. As reported in last week’s Messenger, she is campaigning to save the centre.

She said the centre’s cafe was used by a number of adults, who gained “huge benefit from their chance to mix over lunch and show us their work”.

She added: “This is the only opportunity during the day for us all to get together, and we will all miss it.

“If the argument is that these facilities are not making or even losing money, I know that many, perhaps all, of my fellow students would be happy to pay more if it meant saving this crucial part of Rochester Adult Education Centre.”

But Cllr Maple is now hopeful losses at the Rochester Adult Education Centre cafe can be averted.

He said: “I was pleased with the response from both Medway Council officers and Norse to agree to meet with me and discuss in more detail.

“That’s now taken place earlier in the week, and one of the things we’ve agreed is to have a further meeting, but to include service users.

“I would hope we can find a resolution that deals with this.”

Nick Day, GMB membership development officer, said: “The Conservative Chancellor clearly stated employers should be able to afford to pay staff £7.20 an hour from April.

“So why is the Conservative council not funding this and penalising low-paid workers who should just be receiving what they are entitled to?

“Either way, the government or the council need to implement the new pay rate without anyone losing their jobs.”

Medway Norse did not respond to a request for a comment.

To sign the petition, visit https://www.change.org/p/mike-britch-nps-co-uk-medway-norse-halt-the-closure-of-the-caf%C3%A9-at-the-adult-education-centre-rochester