UNION bosses have demanded urgent talks with city chiefs ahead of a mass staff rally.

The large-scale meeting is due to be held at the council chamber on November 28 when hundreds of angry council workers will discuss what the unions have called the worst cutbacks faced by local authority employees in living memory.

Barry Olson, deputy branch secretary of Unison, warned that industrial action could not be ruled out if city bosses refuse to back-down over the planned cutbacks.

He said: "It is a pretty horrendous situation. The strength of feeling is such that some members are pushing for industrial action."

More than 130 jobs are due to be cut by civic chiefs in the city.

Fifty-seven workers will be made redundant under the plans and a further 78 currently vacant posts scrapped.

The cuts were revealed in the Daily Echo last month when the paper broke the news that the council was deciding how to fill a £5m hole in next year's budget.

The cost-cutting measures centre on management roles in leisure, care and transport. Grants to voluntary groups could be slashed by ten per cent.

One of the biggest changes drawn up is a huge savings initiative targeting car-driving staff.

Annual payments of £950 to senior managers are likely to be scrapped with mileage rates adjusted and parking charges for hundreds of workers increased.

Mr Olson added: "It amounts to a 300 per cent increase for parking. It could mean over the course of a year that people could be £1,000 worse off - to say nothing of the people who are losing their jobs completely."

Leader of the city council Councillor June Bridle insisted the savings had got to be made. She said: "At the moment, they have the best offer they are going to get on the table but we are always open to talk to everyone."