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They could also withhold petrol receipts so their managers cannot claim back VAT under the row with Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council.
The council is to replace block payments for ‘essential users’ and 36.9 a mile ‘casual user’ payouts with a 40p flat rate.
The move would save £347,000 and is part of a drive to cut total costs by 10 per cent. Yet the union says it will leave those who regularly use their car for work £500 worse off a year.
Some workers will be contractually obliged to provide a car for work, the union said.
Unison has been given permission by its regional office to undertake a consultative ballot on strike action.
The ballot asks whether staff would be prepared to withhold petrol receipts to prevent the council from claiming VAT.
It also asks if employees would back a ‘rolling programme of action’ involving the withdrawal of private cars for work for two weeks.
The ballot also asked if employees would be prepared to withdraw car use for emergency on call duties and for ‘several days each week’.
It adds: “Would you be prepared to completely withdraw the use of your car for work use?”
The council provides services including social services and road inspections.
The union said: “Unison believes that existing essential car users will be significantly financially worse off under the new scheme.”
It instead called for a £600 annual lump sum on top of the 40p rate for workers who must have a car and driving over 2,00 miles.
The union said: “Unison believes that only through effective and well supported industrial action by essential car users will we be able to force our employer to re-open negotiations and improve on the intended 40p per mile scheme.”
The council said there will probably be compulsory redundancies in the coming 12 months but on the scale of the last year.
The union said: “We are concerned that this has potentially serious consequences for the health and safety of staff and in particular increased incidence of work related stress.”
It said: “Large scale cuts in public spending will probably push the economy back into recession, pushing up unemployment and reducing the tax base to bring down the deficit.”
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