MORE than 150 workers went on strike on Friday over widening pay gaps between the Department of the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and its agencies.

The members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) walked out of Defra's Whittington Road offices as part of the national one-day strike.

Picketers spent the day persuading staff and visitors to turn around and go home for the day in protest of wage gaps averaging £2,010 between people doing similar jobs. Staff from Worcester State Veterinary Service, Rural Development Service and Defra disputed pay inequality between the three, and 150 of the 210 PCS union members who work at the site made their views known.

PCS Defra Worcester branch chairman Steve Martin said: "Defra and its executive agencies are a prime example of the unfair and farcical nature of civil service pay.

"What we are seeing is a two-tier workforce in operation and it is high time that the department and the Government stepped in a sorted out the growing mess that is civil service pay."

Fellow union member Richard Cork added: "We hope management will take notice of this protest and we can move forward to getting equal pay.

"But there may have to be further action if we cannot negotiate a fair pay deal soon."

About an extra 30 workers are expected to join the existing 350 staff already at the site when Defra's London offices streamline.