REFUSE workers, school support staff and other council workers will be asked whether they will back industrial action after union members rejected a pay offer.

Members of GMB and Unite voted against the 1.75 per cent offer, which union officials described as “pathetic”.

Julie Wynn, an officer for GMB's Northern region, said the issue affected about 10,000 of its members in the region. She said: "We're talking about frontline who have been working throughout the Covid outbreak. These people have put themselves at risk over the last 18 months.

"To offer them this at this time is disgraceful."

She added: "Our next move is to ballot members on industrial action. We had a 75 per cent majority that turned down the pay offer so we hope the strength of feeling shown for that will be shown on the next so we are in a strong position."

The GMB has said that with RPI inflation running at 4.8 per cent, the offer represents a real terms pay cut after a decade of austerity.

Unite’s 70,000 local government members voted by four to one to reject the offer earmarked for council staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Our members have made a huge contribution to keep public services running during the continuing Covid crisis. They have held our services together at a time of national emergency. This resounding vote shows their anger at this insulting offer.With the cost of living soaring and tax hikes on the way, Unite is determined to ensure the Local Government Association thinks again and offers our members the fair and decent pay they undeniably deserve.”

An overwhelming majority of Unison’s 400,000 members who took part in a month-long consultation exercise also voted to reject the offer .

The union said the proposed deal fell well short of the 10 per cent claim put forward with the GMB and Unite.

Unison members will now be asked to back industrial action in support of the union’s campaign for better pay.

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