TRADE unionists are threatening to stage a fuel-protest-style "go slow" during the Ebor Day race meeting if councillors fail to agree to an urgent review of York's parking charges.

The York Trades Union Council (TUC) says it is seriously considering slowing heavy race traffic to a crawl next month, as a form of direct action against City of York Council.

But it is hoping that a lobby of councillors it is organising on Thursday will make such protests unnecessary.

The lobby, to take place outside the Guildhall before a full council meeting, will feature a choir and a band, and the TUC is hoping many ordinary motorists, businesses, voluntary organisations and other interested parties will take part to let councillors know their views.

TUC member Bryan Anderson said the lobby would be in support of a Labour motion being put to council, which calls for a major review of the new parking charges and restrictions to begin immediately.

He said members believed, like the motion's proposers, that permanent damage could be caused to some businesses and groups if the review did not take place until later in the year.

The TUC organised a public meeting about charges at the York Railway Institute last week, attended by more than 100 people, many of whom strongly criticised the introduction of evening charges and the painting of new yellow lines in many city centre streets.

Mr Anderson said that if the Liberal Democrat council did not agree to an immediate review, sufficient members of the TUC were willing to take part in a go-slow protest action to cause major disruption to traffic on Ebor Day - Wednesday, August 18 - when tens of thousands of racegoers flock to York Racecourse.

However, additional support would be sought from other members of the public. He claimed that such action would not be illegal, provided vehicles taking part did not come to a halt and obstruct other traffic, saying that nobody staging such actions in protest at high fuel prices had been arrested.

He said this would not be the last protest to be organised by the TUC if the council turned down demands.

He even suggested that such action could be taken again during Royal Ascot next year if the charges were still in place.

"We are not going to go away," he said.

Council leader Steve Galloway was unavailable for comment.

Updated: 08:29 Monday, July 26, 2004