ESSENTIAL day-to-day services across north Hampshire could come to a standstill next week when public sector workers walk out in a day of strike action.

Council employees including bin men, bus drivers, social workers, care home workers, school dinner ladies and caretakers are expected to take part in the strike on Tuesday, March 28.

The action has been agreed by public sector workers' unions in protest against Government plans to change council workers' pensions.

Julian Evans, Unison branch chairman at Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, said: "A lot of employees - both union members and non-members - are planning to strike.

"It's going to be friendly picketing outside the council offices with placards alongside the road.

"The strike is bound to have some effect on local services on the day - but, because we don't ask people up front whether they are going to join the picket line, we don't know which services."

A Unison members' meeting is due to take place at the council offices tomorrow to finalise the plans for the day of action. Mr Evans said he expects staff to strike in shifts to minimise disruption.

Gordon Holdcroft, the borough council's chief executive, is predicting upheaval on the day of the strike.

He said: "We are aware that staff feel strongly about this national issue. As many staff would be affected by the proposed changes to public sector pensions nationally, some non-union members may also support the action.

"It is inevitable that there will be significant disruption on the day. We are assessing how the action will impact on individual services.

"We will do everything possible to keep inconvenience to a minimum, but we would ask the public to bear with us."

From October, the Government is proposing to scrap the Rule of 85, which currently enables public sector workers to retire with a full pension if their age plus their length of service comes to 85 years. This has led to the national average retirement age for council workers being 58.

Other public sector workers - civil servants, police, teachers, firefighters and NHS staff - have already gained protection for their existing pension schemes, but those under the Local Government Pension Scheme have not.

Mr Evans said: "A lot of people here at the council are pretty bothered about the proposed changes.

"I know pensions are going down and there is pressure on the private sector, and some people think we should be the same, but the public sector has always been different in the sense that pay has always been low and pension is one of the perks.

"That is now potentially being stripped away."

In anticipation of the strike, the council's Cabinet has rearranged its meeting that was scheduled for next Tuesday. It will take place next Monday instead.

Councillor Paul Harvey, leader of the council, said: "We want to support the strike action for our staff.

"It is only right that we reschedule the meeting for another day so we can stand with our staff on this issue.

"We want to support the staff in what they are going through."

First published: Monday, March 20, 2006