Council workers in two-day strike

Negotiators from Unison agreed that the union's 600,000 council members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland would walk out on July 16 and 17. The union's strike committee will meet on Friday to ratify the decision.

Social workers, housing benefit staff, teaching assistants, dinner ladies, cooks, cleaners, architects, traffic wardens and refuse collectors will join the strike in the biggest show of industrial unrest for years.

Unison's head of local government, Heather Wakefield, said: "It is a tough decision to take strike action but our members have shown that they are willing to fight for a fair deal. Once the dates are finally agreed, we will be going all out to mobilise maximum support around those strike days.

"We are, of course, always willing to meet the employers. The solution to this is in their hands. They must know that we mean business and they must know that our members cannot afford to take another pay cut this year."

The strike dates were set by negotiators following Monday's 55% vote in favour of industrial action after workers rejected a 2.45% pay offer.

Jobcentre and benefit office workers and other civil servants could take industrial action later in the year in separate rows, while probation officers, Ofsted inspectors, meat and hygiene inspectors and further education staff are also in dispute over pay, highlighting the breadth of anger and simmering unrest across the public sector.

Dave Prentis, Unison's general secretary, said the council workers were sending a "clear message" to the local government employers that they were willing to fight for a decent pay rise.

"They are fed-up and angry that they are expected to accept pay cut after pay cut while bread and butter prices go through the roof. Most of them are low-paid workers, who are hit hardest by food and fuel price hikes, and they see the unfairness of boardroom bonanzas and big City bonuses."

Unison said 250,000 council workers earn less than £6.50 an hour, most of them women, and are not prepared to accept below-inflation pay rises. The unions are claiming a 6% pay rise or 50p an hour, whichever was greater.