UNISON has raised the possibility of industrial action, saying a job evaluation by Herefordshire Council will result in staff losing money.

The public sector union, which has been in negotiation with the council over the review for four years, is to ballot members on whether or not to accept the package.

Branch organiser Janet Atkinson said: "I've heard heart-breaking stories. People feel demoralised after four years of waiting for nothing. These are people with families, mortgages and houses to run. We believe that some people would take a cut of £10,000 a year. We've heard that one member of staff could be reduced by £18,000."

The job evaluation review was brought in by Herefordshire Council in an attempt to iron out pay anomalies. It inherited workers from the old Hereford & Worcester County Council and Malvern Hills District Council.

Mrs Atkinson said: "Unison has gone as far as it can over the negotiating table and now we've gone back to our members. Ballots on whether to accept the package went out last week. "If there's a majority rejection, that will lead to a further ballot on industrial action."

Herefordshire Council spokesman John Burnett said: "There is local agreement with trades unions to use the evaluation process to rectify the anomalies in pay inherited from the old authorities.

"All staff will be protected against any loss of salary for a period of four years. Inevitably, in any exercise of this sort, there will be gainers and losers."