UNION leaders are seeking urgent guarantees on pay and pensions of Sandwell social workers to avoid strike action.

It comes in the wake of today’s government announcement that children’s social care services will be taken out of council control and run by a trust.

The move follows years of poor inspection gradings, but co-incides with the publication of an Ofsted report which highlights "positive progress" being made by the council in improving services to children.

Earlier this year, Unison members voted for a motion calling for an industrial ballot should plans for a trust be announced.

Joint branch secretary Tony Barnsley said today the mandate to vote for industrial action was still on the table.

He said the union would seek assurances from the new commissioner heading the trust that existing pay, pensions, terms and conditions would be guaranteed.

If that was not forthcoming, he said the union would press ahead with a ballot for strike action.

Mr Barnsley added: “Our members work extremely hard to protect children in Sandwell. Many work longer than their contracted hours and many of them have workloads that are too high.

“Creating uncertainty over the future pay and pensions of our members does nothing to improve the service to children.

“In fact creating this uncertainty can only make it worse since some will vote with their feet and leave Sandwell.”

Mr Barnsley said Unison was “extremely concerned” the Conservative government had chosen to “privatise” the service into a trust.

He added: “If the future of our members’ pensions and pay cannot be guaranteed soon, Unison will have little choice but to enact the demand from our members to ballot for industrial action.

“If our members do choose to take strike action they will receive our fullest support.”