THOUSANDS of town hall workers are planning to take Bolton Council to an employment tribunal over a pay docking row.

The employees are furious council chiefs deducted one day's pay from their wage packets after a day of action.

In June 3,800 members of the local government union UNISON staged strike action in a dispute over car allowances and working hours. But when they received their next pay packets they found that the council had deducted a fifth of a week's pay.

The workers argue that as a week has seven days they should only have lost a seventh of a week's pay.

UNISON branch secretary Pauline Dixon told the BEN that despite approaching the council several times about the issue, council bosses will not change their minds.

So the workers are now planning to take the dispute to an employment tribunal alleging unlawful deduction of wages.

Hundreds of UNISON members have already sent their claim forms into the union offices and the organisation's lawyers will submit them to the Employment Tribunal later this month.

"People are paid over seven days a week or 31 days a month. The council can't just change it like that," said Ms Dixon.

She added that the union is most concerned about the low paid and part time workers for whom the few pounds difference in pay is important.

"It is a lot of money to some people," she said.

Ms Dixon added that their members are angry because they returned to work after the strike and agreed to continue negotiations instead of taking further action.

"There is a general feeling that they are being treated unfairly," said Ms Dixon.

Bolton Council leader Cllr Bob Howarth told the BEN last night that the council will defend the claim at the employment tribunal.

He stressed that most employees are on a five day week and so it is fair that they be deducted a fifth of a week's pay for the strike day.

"That seems reasonable to me and, I think, most citizens in the borough will agree," he said.

He described the claims made by UNISON as "nonsense."

"One wishes the union officials had more to do with their time than take up ridiculous claims like this," he added. THOUSANDS of town hall workers are planning to take Bolton Council to an employment tribunal over a pay docking row.

The employees are furious council chiefs deducted one day's pay from their wage packets after a day of action.

In June 3,800 members of the local government union UNISON staged strike action in a dispute over car allowances and working hours. But when they received their next pay packets they found that the council had deducted a fifth of a week's pay.

The workers argue that as a week has seven days they should only have lost a seventh of a week's pay.

UNISON branch secretary Pauline Dixon told the BEN that despite approaching the council several times about the issue, council bosses will not change their minds. So the workers are now planning to take the dispute to an employment tribunal alleging unlawful deduction of wages.

Hundreds of UNISON members have already sent their claim forms into the union offices and the organisation's lawyers will submit them to the Employment Tribunal later this month.

"People are paid over seven days a week or 31 days a month. The council can't just change it like that," said Ms Dixon.

She added that the union is most concerned about the low paid and part time workers for whom the few pounds difference in pay is important.

"It is a lot of money to some people," she said.

Ms Dixon added that their members are angry because they returned to work after the strike and agreed to continue negotiations instead of taking further action.

"There is a general feeling that they are being treated unfairly," said Ms Dixon.

Bolton Council leader Cllr Bob Howarth told the BEN last night that the council will defend the claim at the employment tribunal.

He stressed that most employees are on a five day week and so it is fair that they be deducted a fifth of a week's pay for the strike day.

"That seems reasonable to me and, I think, most citizens in the borough will agree," he said.

He described the claims made by UNISON as "nonsense."

"One wishes the union officials had more to do with their time than take up ridiculous claims like this," he added.