BOROUGH council services face widespread disruption next Wednesday because of industrial action by the authority's employees.

Around 50 staff at the council's Romsey office and a further 150 staff at the authority's Andover HQ are expected to down tools in protest at the government's shake-up of the Local Government pension Scheme.

Next week's strike is part of nationwide industrial action by local government employees upset at Labour's plans to overhaul their pension scheme and push up the retirement age from 60 to 65.

Borough officials say it is hard to guess what impact the strike will have on services provided by the authority but the Test Valley branch chairman of Unison, Peter Phillips, hopes all union members will take part in the industrial action.

"There is a whole raft of changes planned. Next year the government is planning to increase contributions to the pension scheme. In a national postal ballot, 79 per cent of Unison members voted in favour of striking. We are going to have picket lines at Romsey and Andover on Wednesday and will be advising people not to cross them," said Mr Phillips.

All non-Unison staff members are being urged not to do the work of members taking part in the strike, said Mr Phillips.

He added that the average retired local government employee received around £3,800 annually in pension pay and proposed changes could see a reduction in pension pay.

Local authority staff belonging to other unions including Amicus and the TGWU are joining the strike action.

Council boss Roger Tetstall said: "We are in the process of evaluating where disruption could arise. We can reassure residents that we will do everything we can do to minimise inconvenience. People should carry on as usual, for example putting their bins out in the normal way for collection. If we are unable to make any refuse collections on Wednesday, we will make a double collection the following week and take away any additional household waste left beside the bins."

Mr Tetstall added: "If anyone is planning to make a special trip to the council's offices on Wednesday, I would suggest that they might find it more convenient to do this on another day if they can but I appreciate that for some people this will not be possible."