FEMALE workers in the North-East will dress as men and present a mock bill to local authorities today to highlight the pay packet gender gap.

As council workers prepare to ballot for strike action over low pay, female workers will stage a series of protests outside local government buildings to highlight the difference between their wages and those of their male colleagues.

Unison, the largest trade union representing local government workers, claims that the average woman council worker takes home only 66p for every £1 a male colleague earns.

Ian Daley of Unison said: "Local government pay has fallen badly behind other public sector workers in recent years and this is particularly true for women. The gender pay gap with other workers in the economy is glaring."

But the North East Regional Employers' Organisation (Nereo), which is representing the North-East's 25 councils in negotiations, has said that women's wages are lower because more of them work part-time.

Nereo director Mick Brodie said: "Whilst I accept there is a gap between male and female employees, it's not as great as the union makes out. Male workers will be predominantly full-time and the vast majority of part-time workers will be female, which will reduce this figure and the unions take no notice of that."

Protests will take place in South Shields, Gateshead, Guisborough and Durham City. On June 10 workers will ballot over strike action for their six per cent pay claim. Unison says the three per cent offered would not tackle the inequality between local government workers and other public sector employees.