AROUND 280,000 civil servants have voted to strike - bringing chaos to Jobcentres, benefit offices and courts.

Ballot results unveiled today revealed more than 62% in favour of strike in a bitter dispute over jobs, pay and privatisation.

Around 30,000 Scots have backed the call for action. The first one-day stoppage will be a week tomorrow.

The Public and Commercial Services Union warned that the strike would also affect the processing of millions of tax returns because of the January 31 deadline for submitting the forms.

That stoppage will be followed up by a two-week overtime ban. In addition to hitting HM Revenue and Customs, the industrial action will impact on more than 200 government departments, including passports, driving exams, national museums and galleries, and will also include Scottish Executive departments and agencies.

Eddie Reilly, PCS Scottish Secretary, said: "The Chancellor needs to understand our members will not go away and will continue to fight against compulsory redundancies and pay cuts.

"Gordon Brown is now in the last chance saloon."

General secretary, Mark Serwotka, said the union was already drawing up plans for further "guerilla" action that officials said would surprise the Government.

He added: "The second wave of action will not be a traditional one-day strike."

Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden said: "There is no need for strike action.

"The Government values the Civil Service highly. If PCS members have concerns about job losses or pay, there is an established industrial relations process."