Dundee will be brought to a standstill by the biggest wave of industrial action the city has ever seen, a union figure has predicted.
Alan Hinnrichs, acting secretary of the Pension Centre branch of the Public and Commercial Services union, said workers have been insulted by a Government offer to allow them an officially-sanctioned 15-minute protest on November 30.
Around three million public sector workers throughout the UK are expected to down tools at the end of the month in the most widespread industrial protest to hit the country in a generation.
The dispute centres on public sector pension payments. Staff in schools, hospitals and councils will all take part in the strike unless a deal between the unions and Government is reached by November 30.
Last week, cabinet office minister France Maude said the Government would accommodate a token action on November 30, such as a 15-minute walk, without docking strikers’ pay. However, that has been angrily rejected by union leaders in Dundee.
Mr Hinnrichs said: ”The whole idea that we would go on strike for just 15 minutes is ridiculous.
”We’re being told to work longer for less. I stand to lose between £20,000 and £40,000 over the course of my career.
”People talk about gold-plated pensions but for most public sector workers the average pension is only about £5,000.”
Mr Hinnrichs said thousands of workers will take part in mass walkouts in Dundee on November 30.
”I was talking to some of my colleagues and we are talking about thousands of people, from teachers to staff at the HMRC and the NHS.
”It will be the biggest day of industrial action Dundee has ever seen.”
As the strike falls on St Andrew’s Day, which is a public holiday in Angus, schools there will already be closed and so unaffected by any industrial action.
Perth and Kinross Council said it will announce later this week whether schools will close.
A spokesman for Dundee City Council said: ”We are currently in discussion with the trade unions about the likely impact of their proposed industrial action.”
Last week, Fife Council warned parents they may have no choice but to close schools on November 30.
An NHS Tayside spokeswoman said no patients will suffer because of the strike.
She said: ”It is expected that trade union representatives and managers will work together to ensure all emergency and essential services are maintained in order to safeguard the health, safety and welfare of all patients, staff and members of the public.”