Cardiff City Council staff could strike after the town hall approved a one-hour reduction in its working week.

Proposals accepted by Cardiff today will see a 1.8% pay cut handed down to senior managers and the majority of town hall staff contracted to work 36 hours a week between August 2014 and March 2015.

Following a statutory 45-day consultation period on the plans, the local authority will protect the Voluntary Severance Scheme and terms and conditions relating to overtime, night working and shift allowance until next year.

Unison has revealed it will now ballot members at the town hall for industrial action, branding council plans an ‘attack’ on the workforce.

‘It is not our members’ fault that the council is in such a financial mess, yet it is them who are expected to pick up the bill for it,’ Unison Cardiff County branch secretary, Spencer Pearson, said.

‘A strike will cause significant disruption to council services and is not a decision taken lightly by our members,’ he added. ‘We are the only trade union in Cardiff that is fighting the council's attacks on its staff and our members can be assured that we will do all that we can to resolve the issue. There just needs to be a willingness from the council to resolve it.’

Cardiff City Council leader, Cllr Phil Bale, said: ‘The budget set in February sets out the £50m savings required for 2014/15 and strikes a balance between the ongoing need to deliver vital front line services, while keeping council tax increases and impact on staff to a minimum.

‘The council has been working with the trade unions on this issue for some time and it is with deep regret that a collective agreement couldn’t be reached, with only three out of the four trade unions agreeing to the proposals.

‘The management will be working closely with staff to ensure they are fully informed and supported during the transition of this change in working hours and I will be encouraging managers to be flexible in achieving the one hour reduction.’