'Secret billions could stop strike'

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Unison said councils in England and Wales could afford to increase a rejected 2.45% offer without having to go to the Government for more money or raise council taxes.

The union said the "secret" billions had built up largely because of efficiency savings achieved over the last few years.

Councils in England have £11 billion in the bank of which more than £3 billion is not earmarked for anything while authorities in Wales have more than £373 million in the bank of which £143 million is unallocated, said the union.

General Secretary Dave Prentis said: "These billions of pounds in the bank, put there by the hard work of hundreds of thousands of low paid Unison members, should be used by the employers to settle this potentially damaging dispute.

"The employers don't have to go to the Government with a begging bowl, or put up council tax or cut jobs or services or any other dire consequences they are threatening.

"They should face up to the fact that the solution is staring them in the face."

School assistants, caretakers, dinner ladies, refuse collectors, social workers, librarians, architects and other council staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will strike for two days on Wednesday and Thursday bringing huge disruptions to services.

Mr Prentis said the union could not stand by and see the workers facing a pay cut while food, fuel and energy bills were "going through the roof".