More than 5,000 public service workers in Brighton and Hove are to stage a one-day strike in a bitter row over pensions.

The walkout is expected to bring the city to a near standstill as part of the UK's biggest bout of industrial unrest since the 1926 General Strike.

Members of nine unions, ranging from school dinner ladies and refuse collectors to sports centre staff and school assistants, voted overwhelmingly in favour of strikes in protest at planned changes to their pension scheme.

Most schools would be likely to close as teaching assistants, caretakers and support staff walk out.

Streets would go unswept and rubbish and recycling left uncollected.

Museums and leisure centres are to shut during the 24-hour walkout.

Workers in the city will join more than 30,000 local authority staff across Sussex and more than a million workers across the UK taking part in the action on March 28.

Other areas likely to be hit include social services, residential homes, housing estate wardens, council housing maintenance, environmental health, university staff, police community safety officers, forensics and probation work.

Mark Turner, secretary of GMB's Brighton and Hove branch, which has 1,400 members, said: "The impact in Brighton and Hove will be absolutely overwhelming and the effect on local authority employers will be devastating."

Alex Knutsen, secretary of Unison's Brighton and Hove branch, which has 3,500 members, said: "It will be the biggest strike since 1926. Apart from a few life-and-limb exemptions, public services provided by the council and other organisations will stop."

He said the Government had brought the strike on itself by denying local authority workers the same pension rights it had agreed with civil servants, health workers and firefighters.

He said: "The Government is encouraging people to save for their old age and that is exactly what we are doing. We are sorry for the public but this is not about asking for more money, just keeping what we have got."

The dispute centres on Government plans to scrap a rule that allows some members of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) to retire on a full pension at 60. Councils say costs mean this must rise to 65 for all employees. Unions reject this and have called for lifetime protection of pensions for current employees.

Simon Burgess, leader of Brighton and Hove City Council and ex-Unison branch secretary in the health service, said: "I fully recognise strength of feeling on the issue of pensions. The council has a duty, though, to ensure essential services are operating, and we will work with our staff to achieve that."

The Government said it would be willing to discuss the dispute with the unions.

Unions taking part are Unison, GMB, Transport and General Workers' Union, Amicus, the National Association of Probation Officers, Community and Youth Workers' Union, the Association of Educational Psychologists and the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians.

l The Royal Pavilion could close and Cityclean's vehicles brought to a halt under plans for two unrelated ballots for industrial action announced by the GMB yesterday.