UNION leaders are to ballot Burnley Council staff on proposals that could see some employees face pay cuts of up to £5,000 a year.

More than 200 staff attended a Unison meeting at Burnley Mechanics yesterday and voted in favour of a postal ballot on whether to accept the proposals.

The trade union says around 170 staff will see their salaries fall but more than 300 will have their pay boosted.

The union claims some staff will lose about £5,000 but the average would be between £1,000 and £2,000. The average gain will also be between £1,000 and £2,000 with some securing a £4,000 pay rise.

The wage changes at the authority are part of national plans to put in place equal pay legislation. Burnley is one of the first councils to act on the law change.

Unison Burnley branch secretary Peter Thorne, who works in IT Information Services, said: "There are inevitably winners and losers and I am going to be one of the staff who loses out but it's about pay equality so I accept it.

"Previously low paid workers will have more pay. They will get a fair rate for their jobs, which we are pleased about."

He said that the pay cuts would not come into effect until April 2007 by which time annual pay rises would have softened the blow.

About 470 union members will be sent postal ballots next week. The outcome is expected on March 2.

The council has spent 18 months carrying out the job evaluation, designed to ensure staff receive equal pay for work of equal value.

Burnley Council's director of finance, Nick Aves, said: "The review relates to the job, not the person, but we recognise that any change to staff pay is a sensitive issue and are keeping staff informed as the process continues.

"However we have to go through this process to modernise our pay structure and remove any discriminations.

"Inevitably, some employees will see their pay reduced but there will be pay protection in full for the first two years and reducing for two years after that."

The move will cost £650,000 plus more each year to allow for the increased wage bill.The cash will come from reserves or savings rather than council tax increases.

Every local council has to implement the results of similar reviews by April 2007.