Hundreds of Yorkshire Water workers may strike over a wage wrangle.

A ballot has shown overwhelming support for industrial action following a move which union chiefs claim would slash employees pay packets and "put the health of millions of people at risk".

The dispute - which could see employees working to rule, imposing an overtime ban or taking strike action - centres on a 2.5 per cent pay offer by the firm's parent company, Kelda.

Bosses said they were "disappointed" with the announcement and remained keen to reach a solution.

The news follows 500 job losses announced by the firm in April.

UNISON, which represents 1,300 of YW's 1,600 workers, said two out of three had supported strike action. A spokesman added that four out of five had backed some form of industrial action.

He claimed the 2.5 per cent offer would slash the wages of hundreds of staff, with some shift workers' salaries cut by £2,500 a year. He said the cuts were the result of proposed changes to weekend shift and out-of-hours payments.

The 2.5 per cent figure was below that offered by Britain's other water companies and well behind private sector awards, added the spokesman.

Chris Lamb, UNISON's regional officer, said: "Our members are worried about the effects on public health of this constant under-investment in key technical and administrative staff.

"As we said before holding this ballot, our members are primarily concerned about the failure to invest in staff, jeopardising standards in both water supplies and sewage treatment which will put the health of millions of people at risk."

He stressed the action was designed to hit the company rather than consumers.

A Yorkshire Water spokesman said: "Our existing conditions are riddled with anomalies and date back to local authority days. For some of our staff overtime starts at 1pm on a Friday afternoon. We also currently pay telephone allowances to staff, yet provide them with mobile phones."

He added: "These changes may sound penny pinching, but all the savings we make help to save jobs and we also have a responsibility to be as efficient as possible."

The news came as bus crews employed by First Bradford took a further step towards strike over pay structures. Transport and General Workers Union members voted overwhelmingly for a stoppage in an official postal ballot last week.

It is understood shop stewards who met last night have asked regional union official Ronnie Morrison to set a day for strike action.