Union chiefs have vowed to fight plans giving Castle Point Council's chief executive the powers to act as final adjudicator in disputes between staff and management.

In the past, final appeal decisions have been taken by a panel of councillors, who act as independent advisers, a process chief executive David Marchant described as "out of date".

However, Unison, the public sector union, and the GMB, Britain's General Union, are fighting the plans and have written to councillors asking them to support keeping the process as it is now.

Dave Powell, GMB organiser, said: "Mr Marchant is changing things unilaterally. He has made the plans and we are still making our objections, but he has decided to go ahead.

"We believe the employees of Castle Point Council deserve the opportunity to have their case heard by elected members if necessary."

Mr Powell said industrial action over the issue was a possibility, but was not planned for now.

Final appeals can be called for a number of different reasons, such as if the staff member is fighting against being sacked or if they are having problems in their working relationships with colleagues.

Dave Blackwell, leader of the Canvey Independent Party, said: "If you have got a dispute they have always looked upon councillors as fair minded people who may be able to see a way out of the dispute.

"I have spoken to lots of staff and they think the chief executive will always support officers."

However, Mr Marchant has defended the proposals, claiming the council has been encouraged by the Government to modernise its procedures.

He said: "The practice of taking final appeal decisions to councillors is out-of-date and has already been scrapped by many other authorities.

"Operational staff matters should rightly sit with an authority's chief executive, allowing councillors to concentrate on their duties as policy makers and community representatives."

Councillors will discuss the plans in September.