Hundreds of council workers could strike over what they claim are changes to their terms and conditions of employment.
Trade unions want Dundee City Council to reverse changes to its policy on managing workforce change, which they see as a “toolkit” for job losses and cuts to pay.
Councillors voted to remove the local authority’s long-held commitment against compulsory redundancies and cutting pay protection from three years to one for people who have moved to different jobs.
When the changes were passed, council leader John Alexander said the local authority had never had a formal policy ruling out compulsory redundancies.
The local authority has also changed the rules so employees seeking flexible retirement must retire fully within two years.
Councillors on the policy and resources committee approved the changes in February and they were adopted by Leisure and Culture Dundee last month.
Unions have claimed the new policies were pushed through without consultation and are changes to the terms and conditions of employees, although this was denied by the SNP administration.
Now both Unison and Unite have held consultative ballots which show overwhelming support for industrial action in protest against the changes.
A Unison spokesman said: “Unison has made clear that it sees these changes as a toolkit for management to quickly make redundancies and sweeping reductions to pay and conditions.
“Quite apart from the attack on the already strained workforce, these cuts will have a significant negative impact on the council services our members deliver.
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“As such, they are entirely unacceptable.”
In the Unison ballot, 82.1% of council employees polled were in favour of taking action while 90% of Leisure and Culture Dundee members voted in favour.
A second trade union, Unite, said 92% of members are in favour of industrial action.
Both unions said strikes are now likely unless Dundee City Council agrees to return to the negotiating table.
Bob Macgregor, regional industrial officer for Unite, said: “Workers in Dundee City Council and the leisure trust find it hard to understand why SNP councillors, supported by the Lord Provost, have voted for a policy they say they do not want to use.
“Unite will now speak to our sister unions about the action we will take should the council and the trust fail to talk with us about reversing these imposed changes.
“After years of cuts, Dundee City Council workers are demanding to be treated with dignity.
“This council has breached its own Fair Work Charter by failing to engage and consult on these changes to their workers’ terms of employment. Local government cannot provide quality services whilst its workforce is under attack.”
A Dundee City Council spokeswoman said: “We are aware of this situation and will welcome the opportunity to speak to the trade unions on these matters.”
