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| Council workers walk out over pay | Council workers walk out over pay |
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| 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. |
| Unions say the rising cost of food and petrol effectively makes their 2.45% pay offer a pay cut, and they want 6%. | Unions say the rising cost of food and petrol effectively makes their 2.45% pay offer a pay cut, and they want 6%. |
| Council employers say they have reached the "limit of what is affordable". | Council employers say they have reached the "limit of what is affordable". |
| Meanwhile, PCS union members, who include driving test examiners and coastguard control room staff, are also striking in a separate row. | Meanwhile, PCS union members, who include driving test examiners and coastguard control room staff, are also striking in a separate row. |
| 'Breadline' | 'Breadline' |
| The council workers strike has closed libraries and museums and disrupted rubbish collections and other town hall services. | The council workers strike has closed libraries and museums and disrupted rubbish collections and other town hall services. |
| Across Wales, one in three schools are closed, while a third of all households in Southampton will not have their rubbish collected this week. The pounds in local government workers' pockets are turning to pennies Dave PrentisUnison class="" href="/1/hi/uk/7507478.stm">Is your council hit by the strike? class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=5111&edition=1">Send us your comments | |
| BBC News employment correspondent Martin Shankleman said the strikes were the biggest challenge yet to the government's tough line on public sector pay. | BBC News employment correspondent Martin Shankleman said the strikes were the biggest challenge yet to the government's tough line on public sector pay. |
| Employers have been hoping union members would ignore the strike calls but unions predicted significant support. | Employers have been hoping union members would ignore the strike calls but unions predicted significant support. |
| However, the Local Government Association (LGA) said a survey of councils suggested fewer than a quarter of staff would take part. | However, the Local Government Association (LGA) said a survey of councils suggested fewer than a quarter of staff would take part. |
| The strike action by the Unison and Unite unions comes after members rejected the below-inflation pay offer of 2.45%. | The strike action by the Unison and Unite unions comes after members rejected the below-inflation pay offer of 2.45%. |
| The RPI inflation measure - often used as a benchmark in pay negotiations - is currently 4.6%. | The RPI inflation measure - often used as a benchmark in pay negotiations - is currently 4.6%. |
| 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." This week's strikes will not change the fact that our last offer was our final offer Jan Parkinson Local Government Employers | |
| 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". |
| Lucy Marr, 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." | Lucy Marr, 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." |
| But one council worker in south-east England, who broke the picket line and did not want to be named, said the pay offer was good in the "current economic climate". | |
| "In local government we are guaranteed a pay rise every year and over the last 10 years, it has varied between 2.5% and 3% - people in the private sector don't get anywhere near that." | |
| 'Difficult times' | 'Difficult times' |
| Jan Parkinson, managing director of Local Government Employers (LGE), which was created by the LGA in 2006, said: "Our greatest asset is our staff but we have simply reached the limit of what is affordable. | Jan Parkinson, managing director of Local Government Employers (LGE), which was created by the LGA in 2006, 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." |
| John Ransford, LGA deputy chief executive, said councils would have to put up council tax or cut services in order to meet the pay demand.Refuse collectors have gone on strike in Southampton | John Ransford, LGA deputy chief executive, said councils would have to put up council tax or cut services in order to meet the pay demand.Refuse collectors have gone on strike in Southampton |
| Unison's Mr Prentis said efficiency savings in the past few years meant local authorities had £3bn of unallocated reserves and there was "no reason" why some of that should not be used on pay. | Unison's Mr Prentis said efficiency savings in the past few years meant local authorities had £3bn of unallocated reserves and there was "no reason" why some of that should not be used on pay. |
| But Mr Ransford said the money was being held as a contingency reserve and it would be "crazy economics" to use it for pay. | But Mr Ransford said the money was being held as a contingency reserve and it would be "crazy economics" to use it for pay. |
| 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, coastguard control room staff 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, coastguard control room staff for 48 hours from Friday and the Identity and Passport Service for 72 hours from 23 July. |
| Prime Minister Gordon Brown sees its policy on public pay as essential in the fight against inflation. | Prime Minister Gordon Brown sees its policy on public pay as essential in the fight against inflation. |
| Mr Brown's spokesman said a wide range of public sector workers were having to accept lower settlements in these "difficult economic times". | Mr Brown's spokesman said a wide range of public sector workers were having to accept lower settlements in these "difficult economic times". |
| "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," he 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," he said. |