Gas workers vote to strike

Fears of a "spring of discontent" rose today after the GMB union voted for strikes at British Gas.

Workers at the privatised utility overwhelmingly backed industrial action over claims of "macho management" at the firm.

It raises the prospect of Gordon Brown facing a fourth strike this spring. British Airways has already suffered a stoppage, the RMT rail union has voted for a national rail strike and the PCS civil servants' union is threatening action tomorrow.

The GMB said 82 per cent of members who took part voted for a strike. Action could spread to gas engineers.

The union says a culture of bullying and customer exploitation has developed at the firm. Matthew Bateman, director of heating services at British Gas, denied this and said the GMB was "scaremongering".