Crisis meetings being held to avert strike action

Jan 30 2008

UNION leaders were meeting with Birmingham City Council chiefs today in a bid to avert a threatened strike in a row over how workers' pay bands are being restructured.

About 20,000 workers at Birmingham City Council have voted for the industrial action after the authority announced a pay review.

Union leaders said that in the worst cases individual staff could lose up to £18,000 a year under the plans, due to come into effect in April.

The council maintains 45% of its workers will get a "considerable increase".

The first strike, which could affect all council departments, is scheduled to go ahead on 5 February.

It comes after members of the key council unions, Unison, TGWU, Amicus, GMB and UCATT, voted by three to one in favour of industrial action.

Schools, libraries and leisure centres could be shut and bin bags left uncollected.

Regional organiser for Unison Tony Rabbiotti said: "No one will be put in danger and essential services will be maintained."

A charm offensive is now under way by city chiefs to persuade workers not to take part in the industrial action after it emerged that just 4,462 workers voted in the postal ballot. Of those, 75 per cent were in favour of the strike.