Unison has failed to rule out further strike action over local government pay, emphasising its main concern remains negotiation with employers.

More than one million public service workers are thought to have attended protests yesterday against a pay rise offer of 1%.

Over 1,200 picket lines were set up in front of town halls, council depots and schools across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, as trade unions including GMB, TUC and Unison staged what is thought to be the largest industrial action in three years.

Unison today confirmed further strikes could take place later this year.

A spokesperson for the union told LocalGov: ‘We are not ruling out further strike action but our overwhelming priority is getting employers back to the table for negotiations.’

Unison general secretary Dave Prentis also emphasised the trade union’s commitment to sourcing a new pay arrangement.

‘We are repeating our calls for the Local Government Employers to get back round the table and negotiate a decent pay offer for those workers who have endured four years of pay freezes and below inflation pay offers as a result of the Government's misguided austerity agenda,’ Prentis said.

Council chiefs attending the Local Government Association (LGA) conference in Bournemouth were also faced with a picket line, as protesting town hall workers rallied against the ‘wholly unacceptable’ situation for workers.

A spokesperson for the LGA said yesterday the offer of a 1% pay increase was ‘at the absolute limit of what local authorities can afford’.

‘We urge the unions to accept this pay increase so that it can reach the pockets of our hardworking staff who have been kept waiting for it since April,’ the spokesperson added.