HOSPITAL chiefs in Blackburn are facing a mutiny over plans to increase staff car parking charges.

About 1,500 workers at Queen's Park and Blackburn Royal Infirmary have written to managers complaining at a 17 per cent rise planned to start next month.

Union representatives are considering asking members to boycott paying for parking in protest, even though it will leave them open to clamping. Dill Eccleston, of workers' union Staffside, said he and his colleagues were digusted and urged the rest of the trust's 1,500 workers to write in..

He said: "We feel that this is totally unacceptable and unfair to tax staff just so they can come to work and do their jobs. We already have members of staff at the lower end of the pay scale who park off-site because they can't afford to pay."

A plan has been approved to increase charges year-on-year from the current weekly charge of £1.30 up to £2.22 by 2005.

It fits in with the hospital's successful bid for a private sector partner to build a £86million 'superhospital' on the Queen's Park site by 2005.

The money is being borrowed under the Private Finance Initiative and part of Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Healthcare Trust's business plan is that money from car parking and other services is used to offset the cost of the project.

Mr Eccleston said unions were unhappy some of that money would end up in the pockets of shareholders of the companies behind the consortium.

As well as considering vetoing parking fees, union representatives are also looking at starting a petition and leafleting shoppers in Blackburn town centre.