Council services across the district could be decimated after thousands of staff voted to strike over plans to change their employment contracts.

Public services union Unison is discussing the form and date of a strike after a majority of workers voted in favour in an official postal ballot.

The union says its members are spread over every Council department but it has been forced into the situation by the management

Today Council's chief executive Ian Stewart said: "We will endeavour to ensure that any proposed industrial action causes as little disruption as possible in the services we provide to the people of the district."

He added: "I am saddened that Unison has taken this action at this stage of the negotiations. We are still talking with the other trade unions and hope to reach a positive outcome with them.

"We have made it clear throughout these negotiations that we will make ourselves available at a moment's notice to resume these discussions. This offer still applies."

Council leader Councillor Margaret Eaton said over 5,000 Unison members had decided against action and the result was not representative of the Council employees.

She added: "The terms and conditions the Council is offering are some of the most favourable of any employer, not only in Yorkshire but the country as a whole. What other employees have pay protection for life?

"We have a duty not only to our staff, but also to ensure that the local community, who we are all here to serve, receive the standard of service they have a right to expect.

"Put in those terms, I am sure that members of the public will understand our position and would agree that Unison's demands are unreasonable."

Miss Devlin said 37 per cent of the union's 7,000 members had voted and 78.5 per cent were in favour of strike action.

She said: "It is a legally valid vote and Coun Eaton herself was voted in with far less than this. Is she saying that result is invalid?"

She said the management had consistently refused to return to the negotiating table to discuss its proposals, and that the package on the table gives staff worse terms and conditions than at present.

Leader of the Liberal Democrat group, Councillor Jeanette Sunderland, said she was saddened by the result and they would have to have talks on how the impact on services could be lessened.

Deputy leader of the Labour group, Councillor Barry Thorne, said: "We should be sitting round the table and trying to reach a compromise. It's time to talk, not fight."

The new conditions for the Council workers cover redundancy and re-deployment.