LONDON, July 17 /PRNewswire/ --

Local government workers across England, Wales and Northern Ireland will strike again to win their fight against a wage cut, Unite, the UK's biggest union, warned today.

The claim comes as council workers begin their second consecutive day of industrial action (today, Thursday, July 17th, 2008). Workers from town halls, school canteens and refuse depots across the country will again walk out in protest against a 2.5 per cent pay offer, which with inflation now at 4.6 per cent means a real terms pay cut.

Reports from Unite officials around the country show that yesterday's strike call was answered by thousands of low paid council workers, reflecting the widespread determination among the workforce to win a fair pay deal.

Peter Allenson, lead local government negotiator for Unite stressed that the threat of future strike action remained very real:

"What is very clear is that local government workers are angry. They are fighting to be able to afford the essentials, not the luxuries that their employers on six-figure rewards packages can afford.

"Judging by the tremendous turnout on picket lines across the country, this is a fight that these workers will take all the way and rest assured that their union will be backing them.

"But this dispute could easily be resolved. Billions of pounds of local government money are sitting in banks, piling up interest. It needs only a fraction of this money to meet this wage claim and lift local government workers out of poverty pay.

"This is a time for the employers and central government to demonstrate sound political judgement and basic, everyday fairness. Get back around the negotiating table, find the money to pay living wages and avert certain further industrial action."

For further information contact Pauline Doyle, Unite Head of Press & Campaigns, on +44(0)7976-832-861