UNION chiefs from Blackburn town hall are considering industrial action over what they see as a "bullying and threatening" attack on their working conditions.

More than 200 council employees gathered outside the town hall last night waving placards and chanting slogans to condemn a decision which will they say will see them have to work more hours, get paid less for overtime, pay for car parking and lose five days holidaya year.

The costs of a national agreement for all local authorities have had to be borne by town halls across the country with the imposition of a 37 hour week costing Blackburn with Darwen Council more than £1million per year.

Previously council workers were expected to do 36 and a quarter hours and have 32 days holiday per year.

The council's budget, rubber stamped by councillors last night, proposed recouping some of the extra money the council has had to find from the workers with measures including cutting holidays to 27 days a year.

But members of the major town hall union, UNISON, have rejected the council's decision to impose new working conditions and called for new negotiations between themselves and town hall bosses.

And they warned that unless a solution is found to workers complaints, industrial action of some form is not ruled out.

Blackburn with Darwen branch secretary Jim Noble acknowledged that the national agreement had to be implemented but said the staff should not have to pay for it.

He added: "Not all councils have decided to erode conditions of service the way Blackburn with Darwen has.

"We don't expect these kind of decisions from a Labour Council, especially one in Jack Straw's constituency.

"The workforce is the council's greatest asset and has made a massive contribution to Blackburn's success. "Yet the council has chosen to reward staff by mounting an unprecedented attack on our pay and conditions, using bullying and threatening behaviour to try and force through changes.

"Unison demands that councillors withdraw the package of proposals and make a fresh approach to the unions to start meaningful, sensible negotiations to help resolve this dispute.

"A ballot and industrial action is not ruled out."

Another angry town hall worker who did not want to be named added: "This goes completely against the grain of the co-operation we have had over the years."

The leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, Coun Malcolm Doherty, said he was disappointed.

He added: "The agreement was reached by unions at a national level to ensure that council employees enjoy the same terms and conditions, whether they are blue collar or office workers.

"We feel we had put together a package that is affordable from our budget commitments, which will safeguard jobs and will improve conditions for a lot of workers without imposing any extra burden on the council tax payers."

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