Council workers walk out in 24-hour strike

Unite said the pay offer for workers amounted to a "real terms pay cut"

Workers at a north London council walked out on Monday in a 24-hour strike over pay.

Unite members say they are taking action after rejecting a pay offer of a flat rate increase of £1,925, described by the union as a "real terms pay cut".

Housing repair workers from Haringey are taking part in the industrial action.

The council said that it recognised the impact of the cost of living on workers.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said striking members "increasingly can't make ends meet".

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More than 120 workers at Haringey Council are taking part in a series of 24-hour strikes on Monday as well as on 2, 9 and 16 October.

Southwark Council housing repair workers had been due to join the strike, but Unite confirmed on Monday morning hat it had been postponed.

Unite regional officer, Simon McCartney, said: "This dispute is the fault of local government employers who are failing to value workers and properly reward them for their hard work."

A survey of more than 1,400 Unite members in local authorities suggested 48% have struggled to afford heating, electricity and water bills.

Of those surveyed, 30% said they struggled to afford food and clothing, with almost a quarter skipping meals to save money.

Sarah Williams, cabinet member at Haringey Council, apologised to residents for disruption to the housing repairs service.

She added Haringey Council had "no direct role" in the national pay dispute affecting councils.

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