We want proper procedures to make sure the same mistake does not happen again

Moelwen Gwyndaf

Instead, they should have been sent letters telling them one member of staff was to be made redundant following a consultation process.

The council, which is this week getting back to work after an administrative blunder which led to its 33 members temporarily being stripped of their powers, has since apologised.

But the Welsh teachers' union Ucac, which represents four teachers at the school, is demanding the same mistake is not made again and NUT Cymru is also calling for a full inquiry.

"We have spoken to the county's personnel department and expressed our disappointment that our members were put through quite an unnecessary and alarming experience," said Ucac's field officer for south Wales Moelwen Gwyndaf.

Council work at Merthyr is just returning to normal

"The acting head of personnel at the authority did go down to the school to apologise the next day and we are pleased about that.

"But we want proper procedures to make sure the same mistake does not happen again."

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council was in the process of preparing a statement on the matter on Wednesday.

And in a separate matter, the authority has organised a special council meeting to discuss what caused the bureaucratic blunder which stripped the councillors of all their powers.

An independent inquiry is underway after the High Court in Cardiff quashed a decision barring councillors from carrying out official duties.

The authority is facing a �20,000 legal bill following the episode.