MORE than 4,000 public service workers in Gwent will be walking out today in the latest strike over proposed changes to pensions.

Around 3,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) who work in Gwent civil service offices are likely to strike for 24 hours today.

Meanwhile, around 800 NHS workers in the Aneurin Bevan Health Board – including staff at Gwent hospitals – who are members of Unite are expected to down tools from 8am to 8pm.

University and College Union (UCU) members are also staging a 24-hour strike, with more than 400 at Coleg Gwent and 100 at Newport University expected to walk out.

Striking PCS staff include members at the Office of National Statistics and Intellectual Property Office in Duffryn, the Newport Passport Office and Department of Work and Pensions offices across the region.

There will be “big disruption” to Coleg Gwent today, according to Roy McCabe, chairman of the UCU negotiators at the college.

However, the college said that while there would be some disruption to teaching it would remain open including learning centre facilities.

Eamonn Kelly UCU branch secretary at Newport University, said most classes would be cancelled.

Steve Sloan, lead officer for health in Unite, said most of the union’s members work in estates, pathology and weights and measures and would be in place to ensure no patients are at risk.

The government has said public service workers will continue to receive a good pension.

400,000 to strike across UK

Union leaders predict that up to 400,000 workers will be involved in a wave of demonstrations, fuelled by ministers making clear in the Queen's Speech that they are pressing ahead with their controversial reforms.

Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude described the strike as "futile" and insisted that talks over pensions will not be reopened.

Immigration officers, civil servants, lecturers, health workers, Ministry of Defence staff and members of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary will be among those joining strikes and other forms of protest across the UK. Jobcentres, airports, tax offices, colleges, driving test centres, museums and military sites will all be hit by the action.

Picket lines will be mounted outside jobcentres, courts, at airports including Heathrow, Parliament and other Government buildings across the UK.

The walkout follows last November's huge stoppage by more than one-and-a-half million workers in protest at the changes to their pensions.