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By David Gordon

Direct rule Minister John Spellar has provoked fury by instructing officials to examine whether public sector workers could be sacked or sued for taking part in industrial action, it can be revealed today.

The controversial suggestion was raised at a recent high-level meeting and has further fuelled trade union anger over the Minister's plans for Northern Ireland's water industry.

It has also been learned that a senior official has advised against the sacking and suing options.

Water Service employees are currently being balloted on proposed strike action over a reform package which will involve their organisation becoming a Government-owned company that charges households for their water supply.

The Belfast Telegraph has obtained a confidential memo from Water Service chief executive Katharine Bryan to Mr Spellar on "contingency planning" for a dispute.

In the document - dated January 18, 2005 - Ms Bryan stated that the Minister had sought advice eight days earlier on the "potential for Water Service to take civil proceedings against individual employees taking part in industrial action".

He had also asked what powers existed under Northern Ireland legislation "to dismiss employees taking part in action", the memo said.

Ms Bryan warned that attempting to sue employees would damage industrial relations and "involve the expenditure of substantial sums in legal costs".

Her memo also pointed to legal protection for workers taking part in balloted industrial action and said "adverse political reaction" would be likely if people were sacked.

The Minister's department today said he had been assessing options in the event of a long-running all-out strike.

Mr Spellar was condemned by Nipsa, one of four unions balloting members in the Water Service.

Nipsa general secretary John Corey said he would be asking the Irish Congress of Trade Unions to raise the matter with Secretary of State Paul Murphy.

Mr Corey said: "This is appalling and disgraceful coming from a Minister of a Labour Government.

"It is bad enough that this Minister is trying to force the people of Northern Ireland to pay grossly unfair water charges.

"Now it appears the Minister is prepared to trample over the basic human rights of workers to take legal industrial action."

A spokesman for the Department of Regional Development, which runs Water Service, said: "The advice sought by the Minister was in the context of a protracted all-out industrial dispute which would have a severe impact on essential services and implications for public health.

"We fully respect the right of trade union members to take part in lawful industrial action, but we also have a duty to secure and maintain essential services and protect public health."