Leading councillors have been accused of starting a 'propaganda war' in a row over workers' terms and conditions.

Public services union Unison has said the row could escalate into one-day strikes, which could cripple Council services.

The accusation comes in a newsletter circulated by Unison to City Hall workers.

All 90 members of Bradford Council have also been sent copies of the bulletins which claim Unison has not been confrontational in negotiations over changes to workers' terms and conditions and regards industrial action as '...a last resort.'

The bulletins follow e-mails to all 23,000 Council staff from councillors on Monday.

The e-mails, from Council leader Councillor Margaret Eaton, leader of the Labour Group Ian Greenwood and Liberal Democrat leader Councillor Jeanette Sunderland, came after the collapse of talks last Friday on a new package of terms which the Council wants to implement.

The e-mail said many hours had been spent in trying to solve the dispute but some of the terms the unions wanted were 'illegal'.

But the bulletin to members says: "Bradford Council has an opportunity to prove it wants to be a good employer and maintain good industrial relations by re-opening negotiations and providing us with copies of its legal advice to enable us to review our position."

Demands by unions include an automatic right to voluntary severance after workers have spent 12 weeks in a redundant post. It also wants a package containing protection of salaries for ten years.

Coun Greenwood said today he believed both demands would mean the Council was breaking the law if it tried to implement them. He said the councillors had sent the e-mails simply to tell employees the situation.

Liz Devlin, Bradford Unison branch joint chairman, said employees already had unlimited salary protection, however, but had agreed to ten years as a concession in the package. The Council says the new conditions would help and protect employees, but the unions say it is a road to redundancy with workers at risk of losing their rights.

Councillor Richard Wightman, executive member for corporate affairs, said: "We are disappointed that we have not been able to reach an agreement with the unions.

"We have now sent a letter to all employees providing them with the full details of what we are offering.

"Our proposals will remain on offer until Monday and we hope that we will be able to reach an agreement with the unions."

The unions have already been given a mandate by their members to hold a ballot on industrial action if the Council insists on bringing in the new terms and conditions.

l Unison members at Kirklees Council will protest outside Huddersfield Job Centre on Monday against a Government decision that term-time workers can no longer claim Jobseekers allowance in holidays.