Council pay row referred to Acas

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A pay row involving more than one million council workers is to be referred to conciliation service Acas, unions have announced.

Staff including bin men, dinner ladies, architects and librarians in England, Wales and Northern Ireland rejected a 2.45% pay rise in July.

Unions have refused to rule out further action but have now said they are prepared to go to Acas.

Local authority employers say jobs would have to go if pay was increased.

The Unison, Unite and the GMB unions had criticised the government over the offer, complaining it was well below the rate of inflation at a time of rising food and fuel prices.

They claim around 500,000 people took part in July's walkout, although the Local Government Association put the figure closer to 100,000.

More than 4,000 schools across the country had to close when teaching assistants and school support staff joined the strike, while rubbish collections in some areas were badly affected.

Council workers in Scotland are involved in a separate row over pay and are due to take strike action next Wednesday.