UP TO 4,000 Gwent civil servants were striking today as part of nation-wide industrial action against government plans to axe 100,000 jobs.

Staff from the Department of Work and Pensions office in Kingsway, the Police Training College in Greenmeadow, Cwmbran, and the Patent Office in Tredegar Park were among members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) Union taking part in the 24 hour action.

The bitter dispute was expected to bring out more than 200,000 civil servants to picket lines from the biggest government departments including Education, the Home Office and Health.

The government is making the cuts in a bid to reduce civil service bureaucracy.