Union activists vowed to build a ring of steel around jobs in public services following the impact of the bin strike.

Members of unions representing more than ten thousand health, education and council workers held a public meeting to call for resistance to job cuts over the next year.

They vowed to build links between unions and across sectors so they can rely on each other for support over industrial action.

Cuts are expected across the public services next year because of the effects of the Government’s bank bailout, the recession and soaring national debt.

Alex Knutsen, branch secretary of public sector union Unison’s Brighton and Hove branch, spoke first at the meeting at the Brighthelm Centre.

He said unions need to organise to fight rounds of cuts expected next year.

He said the dispute between Cityclean workers and council bosses, action by Brighton Housing Trust workers over pay cuts and the strike by postal workers showed the importance of fighting cuts.

He told the meeting: “What we are seeing in Brighton is an attack on people's wages, an attack on people's jobs and by definition an attack on people's services.

“We need to look at these disputes and take the lessons from them.

“We need to erect a ring of steel around Brighton and Hove. We need to say, from the grassroots activists upwards, we are going to fight for every job.”