Civil servants on the way to work - for now

The first major civil service strike in decades was announced on Friday.

The Public and Commercial Services Union is poised for a walkout over what it sees as a systematic attack on its members.

The union balloted its rank-and-file over the proposed cuts in the Whitehall machine as a result of Sir Peter Gershon's review.

They voted for the stoppage despite a warning that the strike would damage the delivery of key services.

Despite a 9,000 rise in the civil service machine in the last year, which now stands at 523,580, both Labour and the Conservatives are committed to wholesale reductions in the size of the workforce.

Some 80,000 civil servants could see their jobs reviewed or disappear under the the Gershon blueprint - with a further 20,000 to be redeployed to the regions under proposals drawn up by Sir Michael Lyons.

With both the Conservatives and Labour seeking to outdo each other on the cuts agenda, trade unions are set for a rough ride over coming weeks.

Ministers have warned that the unions must back the reforms if public services are to be improved.

The first salvo in what appears set to be a protracted battle will take place with the walkout on November 5.

The one-day stoppage is likely to hit key public services such as job centres and benefit offices.

Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the PCS union, has attacked the civil service job cuts "feeding frenzy" between the two main parties.

"We are not against doing things more efficiently, but cutting over 100,000 jobs will decimate service delivery, meaning poorer services for everyone and damaging the very services the government has sought to improve," he said.

Business, however, warned that the strike action will put back the cause of civil service reform.

John Williams, director of public services at the CBI, said: "This is a disappointing decision from the union. A day of action will only damage the drive for efficiency and frustrate service users.

"But support for the strike may reflect that the government needs to communicate more clearly the aims of the reform process to its staff."