The government's cuts to redundancy terms for civil and public servants will tomorrow face a legal challenge in the high court from the two largest civil service unions.
PCS and the Prison Officers' Association are challenging by way of a judicial review cuts to redundancy pay imposed through legislation passed last year.
The unions - which together represent almost two-thirds of the total civil service workforce - argue that, because rights to certain redundancy terms have accrued through length of service, they are classed as a "possession" in human rights law and should not be "interfered with" unless there is an over-riding public interest.
In November, MPs and Lords on the human rights joint committee criticised the government's plans as they were going through parliament, saying ministers had not made the case for capping payouts.
During the bill's progress, PCS accused Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude of misleading MPs when he claimed in parliament the union had declined invitations to negotiate.
The previous government's attempt to impose a civil service compensation scheme, which governs redundancy terms, was struck down by the high court shortly before the general election last year following a successful judicial review taken by PCS.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "Ministers simply want to make it easier and cheaper to throw 100,000 of their own staff out of work in the deluded belief this will help our economy get back on track.
"We are determined to fight this, not just to protect our members' jobs but to defend the communities they serve from the ideological vandals in this Tory-led cabinet. Instead of cutting jobs, the government should be creating them and investing in our public services to help our economy to grow."
