THOUSANDS of Oxfordshire council workers could walk out on strike over plans to cut 500 jobs.

Trade union officials issued the warning after it was revealed 50 computer experts may be the first to go from Oxfordshire County Council within the next year.

Social services, trading standards, libraries and museums could all be affected if the 3,000 members of public service trade union Unison – one-in-four of the council’s non-teaching staff – vote for strike action.

In July, the council warned 10 per cent of the council’s 5,000 non-frontline positions – 500 – would be cut to save £90m over the next five years.

Mark Fysh, the county council’s Unison branch secretary, said: “Let me make this clear — we want to negotiate with the council and avert strike action.

“But if it is unwilling to negotiate, or there are widespread redundancies, we will ballot our members over industrial action, which is in line with the branch’s rules. This could mean up to 3,000 people walking out.

“I don’t use the word ‘strike’ lightly. I’m saying this because it could happen.

“Fifty jobs is 25 per cent of the IT workforce, and that’s a large-scale job cut. Another 450 jobs could also go over the next five years.

“Again, with any further job cuts we would want to negotiate with the council and avoid action. But I can’t rule out further strike action in the future.”

He added that consultation between the union and the council was likely to last several weeks, and no date for the potential ballot had been set.

Oxfordshire County Council spokesman Paul Smith said: “The council’s ICT department is addressing ongoing budgetary pressures through a comprehensive restructuring that could see up to 50 posts lost.

“Frontline services are being prioritised in the restructuring to ensure that no reduction in service to the community occurs. Many of these reductions will come from existing vacancies, continuing turnover and voluntary redundancies.

“Compulsory redundancies would only be used as a last resort, if all other measures were unsuccessful.”

The council, which employs 21,000 staff including teachers, says it expects to be asked to find savings due to the Government’s £800bn debt.

Mr Smith said: “There has already been a reduction in the use of consultants. This announcement relates to the current financial year, 2009-10.

“The council’s main process of financial planning for future years relates to 2010-11 onwards.”

  • In July, Cherwell District Council wrote to its 534 staff asking them to take voluntary redundancy, unpaid leave or reduce their hours. It did not rule out compulsory redundancies.

At the same time, West Oxfordshire District Council said it planned to save £1.2m over the next four years, including initiatives such as sharing services and its chief executive with Cotswold District Council, in Gloucestershire.

South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse district councils have combined their senior management teams, are aiming to make annual savings of £1m each, and have started a job-sharing review.

Oxford City Council this week said it was not considering job cuts.