Strike ballot over Shropshire Council jobs

Shropshire Council staff are to be balloted about taking industrial action over contractual changes.

Employees received a letter stating all council staff would be dismissed on 30 September and immediately rehired, but only if they agreed to a 5.4% pay cut.

Unison carried out an "indicative ballot" in July about taking action and said 75% were in favour of striking.

The council will be formally notified on Wednesday with ballots sent out to member a week later, the union said.

'Avoid' redundancies

Alan James from Unison said he was "amazingly confident" of getting a vote for strike action.

If that happens, they would take place around the start of September.

The council has said it must save £76m because of reduced government funding and pay cuts would avoid it having to make 400 permanent redundancies.

No one from the council has so far been available for comment.

About 40% of staff at the authority are Unison members.