A widespread strike in Swansea in support of IT workers has been called off after council union members voted not to go ahead with industrial action

Council services would have been hammered if the three one-day strikes - due to begin this week - had gone ahead. Instead, workers voted yesterday not to proceed and agreed to call off a planned overtime ban. No-one at public sector union, Unison, was available for comment at the time of writing.

However, in a statement Swansea councillor, Chris Holley said: "I am pleased. I feel that the majority of our staff never really wanted to take strike action and I think they will be as happy as I am that it won't now be happening. I always said this industrial action was unnecessary because the Council has no hidden agenda on privatisation or redundancies. That's always been the case and nothing has changed."

Three weeks ago one hundred striking IT workers returned to work after eight weeks on strike. They took the action over concerns that a £100m e-government outsourcing plan would lead to job losses. ®

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