More Fylde civil service staff are to take strike action after claiming that jobs and working conditions are under threat in a forthcoming privatisation.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) Union working at the NHS Pensions Agency in Fleetwood will strike on Friday, January 20 after 80 per cent of the agency's staff backed strike action in a December ballot.

Fellow civil servants in the Department for Work and Pensions announced last week that they had voted for industrial action and are due to strike on January 26 and 27.

Joanne Leadbetter, chairman of the Pensions Agency branch of the union, said: "Interim management are already talking about redundancies even though there has been no bid submitted by the contractor and no identification of how services will be delivered if jobs are cut.

"Should this go ahead staff are seriously concerned about the detrimental impact this decision would have on their job security and future employment prospects."

The union's general secretary, Mark Serwotka added: "This overwhelming vote shows the depth of anger and concern about this privatisation. Staff are concerned about their jobs and the standards of the service they work hard to provide.

"Our experience of these contracts is that they often end up providing a cut rate service for a cut rate price.

"We are happy to work to achieve better efficiency and service in the administration of the pensions scheme, however we oppose this unjustified proposal because there has been no identification of benefits for members of the NHS Pensions Scheme or of savings to the public purse."

The service handles the pensions of more than one million former NHS employees.

Blackpool North and Fleetwood MP, Joan Humble, met with members of the union at a public meeting on Friday and she is expected to raise the future of the agency at a meeting with health minister, Jane Kennedy MP, next week.

Mrs Kennedy has promised 'full consultation' with unions before privatisation moves ahead.