Several hundred employees, including social workers and highways engineers, could strike or stop using their cars in protest at Bradford Council proposals to slash their vehicle allowance by nearly half.

Unison has called a mass meeting next week to find out what members want to do about the essential car allowance changes which they claim will make life impossible for those using their car every day such as council workers who clean up roads after accidents and social workers.

And the union, which represents more than 10,000 workers in the district, is warning that strike action or working to rule is a very real possibility if the Council pushes ahead with changes to the allowance.

According to Unison, an essential car worker doing 5,000 miles annually gets £3,490 per year made up of £1,170 plus 5,000 miles at 46.4p. Under the new proposals they will get £846 plus 5,000 miles at 22.5p, equating to £1,971.

And under the suggested revised system they will also have to do more than 3,000 miles a year, rather than get the allowance earlier, and be required to meet one of three conditions: use their car every working day, respond to work situations at unsocial times, or tthe nature of the journey makes the use of public transport impractical.

Linda Crowther, Unison branch secretary, said: “They want to halve the mileage rate and payment for the car for a core group of staff who carry out quite important roles on behalf of the authority. Do they think anyone could purchase a car for £846 a year?

“Social workers have been very clear to us they will refuse to use their vehicles for work if an attempt to undermine the current agreement goes ahead.

“Who could remove a child from a violent family in a taxi or on public transport? I don’t think the Council has thought this through properly.

“They say cutting this will save £1.9 million a year, but they haven’t said what the costs are of alternative ways of staff carrying out their work.

“On Wednesday we will be getting a mandate from members whether they want to proceed with some form of industrial action which could include strike or work to rule or withdrawing the use of their vehicles.

“We will try and go back and negiogate but they (the Council) have said this is their final offer.”

She said industrial action, if given the go ahead, could take place in September.

Matt Burghardt, Bradford Council's interim human resources director, said: “We are still in consultation with the trade unions on proposed changes to the car user allowance to Bradford Council staff. Until the outcome of the consultation it would be inappropriate to comment publicly”

Unison’s meeting takes place in the council chamber at Bradford City Hall on Wednesday from 12.15pm to 1.15pm.