THE councillor behind the decision to cut Southampton care workers' pay has insisted: "I do care for the carers."

Councillor Norah Goss has hit back at her critics, saying she was right to go on holiday during a union dispute and that she stood by her original decision to bring in new contracts.

She slated opposition councillors for accusing her of keeping her head down during the pay row and then sticking the knife in when she was away.

Returning from her 11-day break, the Cabinet member for adult social care said she had booked a foreign holiday with her husband in September last year.

"We are foster carers and we have to go on holiday for respite," she said. "They encourage us to go on holiday while the children are in school.

"I was really angry about what was said. What was I supposed to do, cancel my holiday?

"Is it now being said that Norah Goss is not allowed to take any holiday?"

Cllr Goss said her presence would have made no difference in an ongoing dispute with unions.

In her absence, plans for a third walkout by about 240 care workers - around two thirds of the workforce - were put on hold so that talks between unions and council bosses could resume this week.

They will try to thrash out a way forward over contracts that get rid of payments for working antisocial hours, resulting in some workers losing up to £7,000 a year.

All but four workers signed new contracts to avoid losing their jobs.

But the unions want more than the one-year protection offered for the payments.

Cllr Goss said: "I had a meeting with Adrian Vinson (the leader of the council) before I went on holiday so he could look after things in my absence."

She defended accusations that she had being "keeping a low profile" pointing out she had penned an In My View column, published the Daily Echo.

"What do you want me to do - stand out in the street on a soap box?" she said.

She added that she had to cancel an interview with an Echo reporter for family reasons, but had received no other direct approaches from any media comment.

She said when inquires were made to the council, the press office put out comments from Dr John Beer, the unelected £107,000-a-year director of adult social care.

Cllr Goss said she had worked very closely with Dr Beer, and had been "copied in" on all his statements.

She said she defended the decision over the new contracts, which was made by the Cabinet and later agreed by the full council, as part of last year's budget to save about £400,000 a year.

"It was a council decision and everybody supported it. Not just the administration," she said.

Cllr Goss said she faced a tough choice over the pay cuts.

"I'm a foster carer. It's not something I take lightly.

"I know how hard they work. I do care.

"But I had a stark choice to make; do we keep an in-house service and how best do we do that."

Cllr Goss said improving efficiency was the right solution.

"We were paying far too much while we have been told by everyone we've got to get best value.

"I've tried my damn best to make sure our staff are not losing their jobs, unlike at Hampshire County Council."

She added: "It's all right being on the other side having a go.

"It doesn't sit comfortably with me. But when you have hard choices to make you have to make them. I stand by what I've done."

Cllr Goss said she didn't want to see the care service go to the private sector "I want our residents to have the best service we can provide. To do that we needed to do these single pay contracts."

Asked what she would be doing to resolve the dispute with unions she said was having meetings to discuss the way forward.

Meanwhile, negotiations are continuing between the city council and the unions in a bid to find a breakthrough.

A joint statement from Southampton City Council, Unison and the T&G union said: "Talks continue between the council and unions to try and resolve the care workers' dispute.

"Following yesterday's meeting it has been agreed to continue discussions after which, all being well, it is hoped both sides will be in a position to resume negotiations with ACAS on Friday to try to reach an agreement over care workers new terms and conditions."

The Daily Echo launched its Justice for Carers campaign demanding a fair deal for the carers who look after some of our most vulnerable residents.

It got under way after council bosses went ahead with plans to slash carers incomes by thousands of pounds a year in Southampton and axe up to 172 adult carer jobs in Hampshire.