UNION bosses have warned that a thousand front-line staff serving vulnerable people in York could take industrial action if a controversial sickness reporting pilot schem continues.

A ballot of options including strike action is likely to be undertaken if councillors vote to extend the scheme, which employs nurses to handle sick calls from staff.

City of York Council's personnel committee is being recommended "to continue it for a further three months with a view to permanence" when it meets on Wednesday.

Council chiefs launched the pilot with Active Health Partners after discovering the 1,000-strong Adult Services department annually lost 28 days per full-time worker at a cost of £2.3 million.

Now, instead of calling line managers, sick carers and social workers speak to occupational health nurses over the phone who offer advice and conduct follow-up checks when required.

A report to members states that Active Health has proposed a two-year contract.

The funding for continuation would be recovered from reduced replacement costs, it added.

Unison has previously said staff felt pressured to return to work under the pilot system and argued the council should focus on reducing workload and how staff are treated and support.

Heather McKenzie, Unison spokeswoman, did not believe the recommendation would be accepted by members.

She said Unison's preferred option was to continue the scheme for three months while exploring a potentially more effective in-house alternative. She said: "I will be asking Unison members what they want to do. I believe people feel the same as they did and the potential is still there for industrial action. That could range from non co-operation with the system to strike action. That has to be on the table for members to discuss, but the door is still open for the authority to work with us on an in-house alternative."

The report states sickness absence levels have only reduced recently.

Figures from July to September 2004, before the pilot, stood at 6.45 days per full-time employee, compared to the most recent three-month breakdown of 5.79 days.

Heather said this was "minimal" and largely due to Human Resources addressing long-term sicknesses.

Council leader Steve Galloway said: "We are looking at this and other ways to reduce the sickness record. It is entirely a matter for the personnel committee to decide at this stage.

"As leader of the council my commitment is to try to help employees as a reduction in sickness levels is of benefit to all employees. We will work constructively with them to find a solution. This particular proposal may or may not be part of that."

Updated: 09:57 Friday, December 02, 2005