GMB 'war' call over Birmingham City Council jobs threat

Unison has also called for Stephen Hughes to resign

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has told a council to withdraw what it says are redundancy notices sent to 26,000 staff or face a "war".

Birmingham City Council has written to employees to consult them about accepting flexible working contracts.

But unions said they had been told to accept the terms or face redundancy.

Delegates at the Manchester conference unanimously backed an emergency motion condemning the move. The GMB union said it was ready for a war.

The council said last week that it expected to make £230m worth of cuts by 2014.

It has denied that staff have been threatened with redundancy through the Section 188 notices saying no one would be made redundant.

They refer to car allowances, staff parking and flexible working, which the council said would mean it can redeploy staff with similar skill sets between departments and use them where they were most needed.

But Joe Morgan, the West Midlands Regional Organiser for the GMB union, said the council's chief executive, Stephen Hughes was a bully.

"I want to send a clear message out to you now...if you want a fight mate, you've picked on the wrong union because I'm telling you now, the GMB are not going to stand by and allow you to bully members.

"You want a war pal, you've picked on the wrong union and we're going to take you on and you will not win."

He said a meeting had been called for next week.

"Comrades, this bully should resign and resign now," he added.

"The notices should be withdrawn immediately and what we've done is we've called for a mass meeting next week to prepare for the fight."