Local government strike - why it's happening

 The strike, which lasts for 48 hours, will involve Unison members - the people who empty your bins, clean your schools, care for your parks, check the safety of your food and look after your children in nurseries, schools and in care. They are taking action because employers are asking them to take an effective pay cut. They want a deal worth more than double the employers' final offer. Other town hall unions have accepted the pay offer, so not all services will be affected. A simultaneous strike involving civil servants will affect some government services this week.

YOUR VIEWS What is your view on this week's strike? Perhaps you are a council service user and have been affected by the strike today, or a Unison member struggling to make ends meet. Tell us your point of view email us or- upload your video messages or pictures to ITV Local YourNews

Local authority workers' pay is negotiated by unions with the Local Government Employers. The union action comes after members rejected a 2.45 per cent pay offer backdated to April. The unions are asking for a rise of six per cent, or 50p an hour.

The strike takes place the day after June inflation figures were published, with rising fuel and food costs pushing inflation to 3.8 per cent - an 11 year high. The government has called for wage restraint in both public and private sectors to try to keep a lid on the spiralling cost of living.

We asked both sides of the dispute for their current positions:

The union view
Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison, told ITV Local: "Our members are willing to fight for a decent pay rise. They are fed up and angry that they are expected to accept pay cut after pay cut, while bread and butter prices go through the roof. Most of them are low paid workers, who are hit hardest by food and fuel price hikes and they see the unfairness of boardroom bonanzas and big city bonuses. Other local government workers who have to use their cars for work are being hit hard too by spiralling fuel costs and they end up subsidising their employers."

The employers' view
Jan Parkinson, managing director of the Local Government Employers, said: "The settlement on the table is affordable to the council tax payer and will also make sure local government continues to be an attractive place to work. Employees on the lower grades will also receive an extra £100 a year, which equates to an overall pay increase of 3.3 per cent. Our greatest asset is our staff but we have simply reached the limit of what is affordable. Any higher offer would have to be funded through increases in council tax or cuts to essential services. In the current difficult economic climate we do not believe it would be fair to add to people’s burden."

We also asked the relevant government departments to comment:

The Treasury view
A spokesperson for the Treasury, which holds the public purse strings, told ITV Local: "As set out in many places, including the Budget, the government's policy on pay deals is that they should reflect the individual labour market position of the workforce in question (taking account of recruitment and retention), and also that public sector pay deals should be consistent with the achievement of the two per cent inflation target. Individual departments are responsible for the pay settlements in their areas of responsibility."

The government department view
A press officer from the Department for Communities and Local Government gave ITV Local this statement: "Central government does not participate in local government pay negotiations, which are rightly a matter for the local government employers and the trade unions. We are disappointed that Unison and Unite have decided to take strike action, with the unfortunate disruption that this will bring to some local services. We hope that the trade unions can continue to work with the local authority employers to resolve their differences as soon as possible''.

So what happens next?

• Council services will start to return to normal from Friday morning, but in some areas this might continue into next week.
• The disputed 2.45 per cent pay offer is still on the table and employers say that is the final offer.
• Whether it is, or if there is a little more money in the pot, will only become apparent after both sides talk again after the strike.
• Either way, ongoing industrial unrest is certain to further unsettle Gordon Brown's government.

External links
Unison
Unite
Local Government Association
Local Government Employers
Department for Communities and Local Government
HM Treasury