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| Council workers walk out over pay | Council workers walk out over pay |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Thousands of council staff are striking over pay in their biggest campaign of industrial unrest for years, forcing schools to close and hitting services. | Thousands of council staff are striking over pay in their biggest campaign of industrial unrest for years, forcing schools to close and hitting services. |
| The Unison and Unite unions expect 600,000 workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to join the 48-hour action, which began at midnight. | The Unison and Unite unions expect 600,000 workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to join the 48-hour action, which began at midnight. |
| PCS union members, who include driving test examiners and coastguards, are also striking in a separate row. | PCS union members, who include driving test examiners and coastguards, are also striking in a separate row. |
| Council employers say they have reached the "limit of what is affordable". | Council employers say they have reached the "limit of what is affordable". |
| The strike will close schools and libraries and disrupt rubbish collections and other town hall services. | The strike will close schools and libraries and disrupt rubbish collections and other town hall services. |
| In Wales, one in three schools are closed, while a third of all households in Southampton will not have their rubbish collected this week. | In Wales, one in three schools are closed, while a third of all households in Southampton will not have their rubbish collected this week. |
| Support predicted | Support predicted |
| The unions are protesting at pay deals which they say are below the rate of inflation and would mean an effective pay cut for their members. | The unions are protesting at pay deals which they say are below the rate of inflation and would mean an effective pay cut for their members. |
| Employers are hoping union members will ignore the strike calls but unions are predicting significant support. | Employers are hoping union members will ignore the strike calls but unions are predicting significant support. |
| The council action by the Unison and Unite unions comes after members rejected a 2.45% pay offer. The unions are asking for a rise of 6%, or 50p an hour. | The council action by the Unison and Unite unions comes after members rejected a 2.45% pay offer. The unions are asking for a rise of 6%, or 50p an hour. |
| The RPI inflation measure - often used as a benchmark in pay negotiations - is 4.6%. | The RPI inflation measure - often used as a benchmark in pay negotiations - is 4.6%. |
| The pounds in local government workers' pockets are turning to pennies Dave PrentisUnison Is your council hit by the strike?Send us your comments | The pounds in local government workers' pockets are turning to pennies Dave PrentisUnison Is your council hit by the strike?Send us your comments |
| Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: "The pounds in local government workers' pockets are turning to pennies. | Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: "The pounds in local government workers' pockets are turning to pennies. |
| "The cost of everyday essentials like milk, bread, petrol, gas and electricity are going through the roof - our members cannot afford to take another cut in their pay." | "The cost of everyday essentials like milk, bread, petrol, gas and electricity are going through the roof - our members cannot afford to take another cut in their pay." |
| Unite national officer Peter Allenson said its members were "living on the breadline". | Unite national officer Peter Allenson said its members were "living on the breadline". |
| Dave Evans, a Unison area steward, has been on a picket line at a rubbish dump in Castleford in west Yorkshire. | Dave Evans, a Unison area steward, has been on a picket line at a rubbish dump in Castleford in west Yorkshire. |
| He said: "We can't afford to take 2.45% - it's a pay cut. | He said: "We can't afford to take 2.45% - it's a pay cut. |
| "I mean diesel and petrol have gone up by 22%. It's getting to the stage where we can't afford to even travel to work." | "I mean diesel and petrol have gone up by 22%. It's getting to the stage where we can't afford to even travel to work." |
| And Lucy Marr, who is a Unison member from Hampshire County Council, told the BBC: "Local government workers are the lowest paid in the public sector. We've had 10 years of below-inflation pay rises." | And Lucy Marr, who is a Unison member from Hampshire County Council, told the BBC: "Local government workers are the lowest paid in the public sector. We've had 10 years of below-inflation pay rises." |
| Biggest challenge | Biggest challenge |
| Jan Parkinson, managing director of the local government employers, said: "Our greatest asset is our staff but we have simply reached the limit of what is affordable. | Jan Parkinson, managing director of the local government employers, said: "Our greatest asset is our staff but we have simply reached the limit of what is affordable. |
| "We remain willing to talk to the unions on a constructive basis about the future employment conditions of our workforce but this week's strikes will not change the fact that our last offer was our final offer." | "We remain willing to talk to the unions on a constructive basis about the future employment conditions of our workforce but this week's strikes will not change the fact that our last offer was our final offer." |
| The Local Government Association (LGA) said a survey of councils suggested less than a quarter of staff would take part. | The Local Government Association (LGA) said a survey of councils suggested less than a quarter of staff would take part. |
| It says that councils would have put to put up council tax or cut services in order to meet the pay demand. | |
| We have had to make some difficult decisions over the last year or two in relation to a wide range of public sector workers Gordon BrownPrime Minister | We have had to make some difficult decisions over the last year or two in relation to a wide range of public sector workers Gordon BrownPrime Minister |
| In the PCS union dispute, driving test examiners will strike on Wednesday, and Valuation Office Agency staff on Wednesday and Thursday. | In the PCS union dispute, driving test examiners will strike on Wednesday, and Valuation Office Agency staff on Wednesday and Thursday. |
| Home Office and Land Registry workers will strike for part of Friday, coastguards for 48 hours from Friday and the Identity and Passport Service for 72 hours from 23 July. | Home Office and Land Registry workers will strike for part of Friday, coastguards for 48 hours from Friday and the Identity and Passport Service for 72 hours from 23 July. |
| BBC News employment correspondent Martin Shankleman says the strikes are the biggest challenge yet to the government's tough line on public sector pay. | BBC News employment correspondent Martin Shankleman says the strikes are the biggest challenge yet to the government's tough line on public sector pay. |
| Prime Minister Gordon Brown sees the policy as essential in the fight against inflation. | Prime Minister Gordon Brown sees the policy as essential in the fight against inflation. |
| Mr Brown's spokesman said: "We have had to make some difficult decisions over the last year or two in relation to a wide range of public sector workers in order keep inflation lower than it might otherwise have been, which has enabled the Bank of England to keep interest rates lower than they would otherwise have been. | Mr Brown's spokesman said: "We have had to make some difficult decisions over the last year or two in relation to a wide range of public sector workers in order keep inflation lower than it might otherwise have been, which has enabled the Bank of England to keep interest rates lower than they would otherwise have been. |
| "These are difficult economic times and a wide range of public sector workers are also having to accept lower settlements than anybody would have liked to have seen in an ideal world." | "These are difficult economic times and a wide range of public sector workers are also having to accept lower settlements than anybody would have liked to have seen in an ideal world." |