Trade unions representing Jaguar workers said yesterday 86% of their members at the Browns Lane plant in Coventry had voted for a ballot on industrial action to counter plans to end production there.

T&G and Amicus union officials said staff at a Jaguar plant at Castle Bromwich had also shown support for a fight against the employers.

Union leaders said they are to hold "sounding" meetings at the Land Rover and Aston Martin factories which could lead to strike action throughout Ford, which owns all the marques. "Jaguar workers are angry and feel betrayed by the company they have delivered so much for," said Tony Woodley, the T&G general secretary. "Jaguar has undermined the trust of its workforce by breaking an agreement on the security of the West Midlands plants. Members are solid in their opposition to closure and they are being backed all the way by the union's leadership," he added.

Once the unions have completed the meetings they will have to give the company seven days' notice of their intention to hold a ballot.

The voting process could take a further two weeks and then, if members support industrial action, the group will be given a further seven days to prepare for any disruption.

The two main union leaders - both on the more militant wing of the labour movement - are making little secret of their belief that this is a major struggle that can best be won with the support of the entire Ford workforce. "We would like the broadest solidarity possible," was how one Amicus official expressed it last night.

Jaguar declined to comment, having delivered its bombshell last Friday that it planned to switch output from Browns Lane to the nearby Castle Bromwich plant with the loss of 1,100 jobs.

The unions fear that the Jaguar research and development site at Whitley in the midlands is also in danger. Last week Ford also revealed plans to pull out of formula one racing and sell its Jaguar team.