PCS Union to Join Millions of Council Workers and Teachers on 'Fair Pay' Strike

The Public and Commercial Services Union is the latest union to join millions of public sector workers set to strike across the UK in a row over pay.

The union, which has more than 260,000 members, backed the "we all need a pay rise campaign" after 73.3% voted in favour of the industrial action.

The move is against the government's decision to cap local government staff pay at an "insulting" 1%.

The news comes after members of Unite, one of the country's largest union, voted in favour of the one-day walk-out on 10 July.

"Our members have endured four years of pay cuts in real terms and they have now voted overwhelmingly to strike on 10 July to drive home the message to ministers that 'poverty pay' in local government must end," said Fiona Farmer, Unite national officer for local government.

"Poverty pay is widespread across local councils – household bills continue to soar, but our members' buying power is constantly being eroded. The national minimum wage will soon overtake local government pay scales; members are choosing between heating and eating.

Unite is seeking a £1 ($1.7, €1.2)-an-hour increase in pay for the local council workforce which has 400,000 employees earning below £15,000 a year and a million earning less than £21,000.

The trade union has around 70,000 members in local government carrying out such jobs as refuse collection, street cleaning, maintenance of council property, traffic enforcement, school support and care services, and grave digging.

Unison, GMB, and the National Union of Teachers are among the other trade unions involved with the day of action.

The Local Government Association, which represents councils in England and Wales, said it was disappointing that Union members had decided to strike.

"Local government staff have worked wonders while councils have been tackling the biggest funding cuts in living memory and we have no doubt that many will still be at work on the day of strike action," a LGA spokesperson said.

"The pay offer we have made would increase the pay of most employees by one per cent while the lowest paid would receive an increase of more than four per cent. This is the fairest possible deal for our employees given the limits of what we can afford.

"This strike will not change the pay offer we have made, but it will mean those who take part lose a day's pay."