WORKERS at Norwich City Council have overwhelmingly voted to strike over broken promises on pay and conditions.

Unite said that 83 per cent of its members had backed a walkout on a whopping 90 per cent turnout, while Unison confirmed an 81 per cent vote for industrial action on a 84 per cent turnout.

Strike dates will be announced soon for the dispute, which concerns the formation of the council’s new arm’s-length company NCSL, set up to bring outsourced services including ground maintenance and street cleaning back in-house.

The unions have accused Norwich council bosses of reneging on a commitment to harmonise NCSL workers’ pay and conditions with their directly employed council colleagues, saying that the company’s latest wage offer “falls well short” of equality.

Unite regional officer Adam Oakes said the union’s members deserve more because they “work outside in all weather conditions keeping the city clean.”

Unison Norfolk branch secretary Jonathan Dunning added: “[Our members] are being treated as second-class workers. All they seek is equality with their council colleagues.”

A spokesperson for the council said that it was disappointed by the vote but would continue to work with unions to find a solution.