GMB becomes second union to vote in favour of strike action in July

Members of the GMB union working in councils and schools have voted three to one in favour of strike action next month.

The GMB is the second union – after Unison last week – to see members come out in favour of a 24-hour strike on 10 July.

The Local Government Association described the vote as "disappointing" and criticised the turnout.

The ballot saw 26,281 votes in favour of action, with 9,799 against and 51 spoilt papers.

Turnout was 23%, which the GMB said was above average but an LGA spokesman described as “low”.

The GMB predicted that the action on 10 July was – with the participation of other unions – likely to be “the second biggest dispute ever with up to 2 million workers on strike”.

National Secretary Brian Strutton said: "Our members have spoken loud and clear and said they want to go on strike.

“We have tried sensible discussions, we've sought to negotiate reasonably, we've said we are willing to accept ACAS arbitration rather than go on strike - but to everything we've tried the employers have said ‘no’. So we have no choice.”

The GMB said the pay for its members in the sector had gone up only 1% since 2010 “and in October even the national minimum wage will overtake local authority pay scales”.

Responding to the GMB announcement, the LGA spokesman said: “It is disappointing that GMB will be proceeding with strike action when the turnout was so low. 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. 

“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.”

He added: “This strike will not change the pay offer we have made, but it will mean those who take part lose a day’s pay.”

See also: Striking answers by Allison Cook