Staff may strike if Spa hits jobs

There is no planned opening date for the spa

Staff at Bath & North East Somerset Council (B&NES) could go on strike if the council's commitment to the Bath Spa project puts jobs under threat.

Unison is asking members to back a campaign to oppose any cuts in jobs and services as a result of the scheme's "continuing drain on council finances".

This campaign would be "up to and including an industrial action ballot".

A B&NES spokesman said: "There are no proposals whatsoever to cut any jobs or services as a result of the Spa."

Unison members at the council were expected to be asked to back the motion at a meeting on Thursday.

'Seeking assurances'

Neil Rosser, branch secretary, said: "We are not prepared to see cuts in council services, such as education and social services, as a result of the continuing problems with the Bath Spa project.

"We will be seeking a categorical assurances from council leaders that their ongoing commitment to this project will not be at a cost to our members' jobs or the public services they provide."

The union's announcement follows a meeting in which councillors discussed the troubled Bath Spa project.

The scheme has been beset by problems, including leaks in the steam room floor and a row over peeling paint in the pools.

It is over-budget - the original cost of £19m has now gone up to £35m - and more than two years overdue.