Workers on ferries between the Isle of Wight and the mainland are to be balloted for strikes following the dismissal of a union official, it was announced today.

The Rail Maritime and Transport union said 200 of its members employed by Wightlink will vote in the coming weeks on whether to launch a campaign of industrial action.

General secretary Bob Crow said: ''Once again RMT finds itself having to defend an elected and accredited union representative, whose only real crime is to continually defend the members he represents, regularly challenging the company and ensuring all agreements are followed correctly.''