Unions ballot on mass strike action

Wednesday, 2 February 2005 12:00 AM

The run up to the next general election could see mass strike action, unions warned yesterday.

Hundreds of thousands of disgruntled public sector workers could down tools days before polling day to protest against Government pension reforms.

On Tuesday, the T&G union announced it would ballot some 100,000 local government members across the UK over plans to increase the retirement age for local government employees from 60 to 65.

Tony Woodley, general secretary of the T&G, defended the ballot: "Our members have every right to defend their pension scheme and if they choose to take action they will be fully supported by the union. The Government should be setting an example to all employers, rather than cutting pension benefits to public sector workers."

The vote will be held in the next few weeks, probably on March 9th.

Unison, the country's biggest trade union, is also to ballot some 800,000 members on strike action amid concern that pension changes will leave low-paid workers forced to work longer for less.

Unions are opposed to plans to axe the final salary pension schemes.

The National Union of Teachers will discuss on Thursday whether it should take any action on pensions and the day after the civil service workers union, the PCS, will decide whether to hold a ballot.

Amicus, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), and construction union UCATT are also considering a strike ballot.

Widespread strike action could be damaging to the Government, as the opposition are sure to draw comparisons with the 'winter of discontent' in 1979, which brought the Conservatives into office.

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