25,000 UK workers to vote on pensions strike
Thousands of workers in the UK who build and maintain council houses, schools and other local authority buildings are to be balloted for strikes in an escalating row over pensions, it was announced today.
Around 25,000 members of the construction workers’ union Ucatt will vote over the next few weeks on whether to take industrial action in protest at controversial plans to increase their pension age from 60 to 65.
More than 900,000 council workers across Britain belonging to several trade unions are now being asked if they want to strike.
Over 290,000 civil servants are also being balloted in a separate row involving their pensions.
More than a million workers at councils, jobcentres, benefit offices and British government sites across the country could stage a walkout on March 23 if they vote to support action.
Ucatt announced the ballot after consulting workers on whether they wanted a formal strike vote.
Alan Ritchie, general secretary of Ucatt said: “Our members are extremely concerned at what is being proposed and clearly want to take action.”
Any strike could cripple council and government services just weeks before the British General Election, expected on May 5.
