Utility workers should be given union backing if they refuse to disconnect electricity or gas supplies to people struggling to pay their bills, the leader of the largest union will say today.

Tony Woodley, joint general secretary of Unite, will ask the Trade Union Congress in Brighton to support employees who act out of compassion, even though such a move is likely to be interpreted as illegal industrial action.

The call to support utility workers who disobey disconnection instructions could be fraught with difficulties. A refusal to disconnect the energy supply might be interpreted as a form of industrial action. Without a ballot, this would be illegal and the company could sue the employee, or the union, for damages.

Despite the call, this suggestion will not be voted on by conference. Most utility workers would be in either Unite or the GMB.

The statement was due to come hours before Alistair Darling, the Chancellor, addressed Congress and Gordon Brown attends the TUC general council dinner, where they will both face angry questioning over pay and rising bills.

This afternoon the unions will make a co-ordinated attack on the "greedy" energy companies for profiteering. They claim oil companies will make an extra £15 billion from the British public over the next four years because of high oil prices now.

In his most aggressive attack on the government so far, Mr Woodley said: "The problem isn't just big business behaving like this. What can you expect from a pig but a grunt. The sad thing is that time and again our government rolls over in front of this vested interest like it did on capital gains tax and on taxing super-rich non-doms."

Mr Woodley set out the case for a windfall tax. He said if companies do not co-operate they should impose price caps and even consider taking the companies back into public ownership. Money from the companies should be used to help workers pay energy bills rather than energy efficiency measures, as Mr Brown suggested last week.

"This can't be addressed by lagging the loft as some crackpot has suggested. Without help with fuel bills now, we'll be lagging the coffins of the elderly if we have a cold winter," Mr Woodley said.

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Science News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• Time-worn Freddie gives up Test matches
• Brighton company 'involved in cyber attack'
• The art of survival: it's all in the mind