Industrial action could be on the cards after Unison members voted overwhelmingly to take whatever action necessary to oppose privatisation for the district's education.

Members of the public-service workers' union passed the motion, expressing their "outrage" at the proposals, at a specially- arranged mass meeting at St George's Hall, Bradford, last night.

It approved industrial action in principle. Members also agreed to lobby Bradford Council and to form a united front with other public-service unions to build a Bradford Against Privatisation Campaign.

Chairman of the union's education stewards committee, Sue Easton, reacting to Council plans to bring in a private company to run education services in Bradford overseen by a "partnership" board instead of councillors, told members: "We are all utterly dismayed and appalled by these proposals.

"We oppose all the attempts the Council is making to push them through them back door without any consultation."

Ms Easton said she was worried that conditions of work for members working in Bradford's educational services would be undermined if a private company was brought in.

"Upper-school head teachers are in favour of the proposals because they will be able to become full-time managers," she said.

"This will ostracise people working in central services to support schools."

She thought other areas of the Council would follow as privatisation "cascaded" through the directorates.

Unison has 2,000 members working in Bradford's education service who were all invited to attended last night's meeting, but only 95 turned up.

Joint Bradford branch secretary, Mick Johnston admitted he was disappointed by the attendance.

He said many members had been on holiday when the meeting was announced and others may not have turned up because of the result of the Council elections.

"Some members may have jumped to the conclusion that because Labour has lost overall control in Bradford, these proposals are all off," he said. "That is definitely not the case."

Last night's motion must now be formally approved by the branch's annual meeting on Tuesday.

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