Over 750,000 council workers join pay strike

Union leaders were delighted at the response to last month's one-day strike over local government pay.

Dave Prentis, general secretary of public service union UNISON, said: "Not only is the strike rock solid across the country, but support from the public has been amazing."

T&G general union general secretary Bill Morris said: "The employers should take note as I say again it won't get any easier for them if they fail to come back to the negotiating table."

A second day of action has been called for 14 August, along with further selective action.

The strike has stirred up memories of the Winter of discontent in 1979, but figures published by the GMB general union show that local government workers now earn less in relative terms than they did then. Full-time earnings for male council workers are 83.2% of the national average, compared with 86.9% in 1979. The corresponding rates for women are 90.2% now compared with 98.1% then.

Over a quarter of a million council workers (one in five) earn less than £5.00 an hour, making the offer worth just 15p per hour to them.

Two thirds of council staff earn less than £13,000 a year. The unions' pay claim, £1,750 or 6%, is geared towards the lowest paid, making the employers' offer of 3% particularly unattractive.