The case for better pay in local government is ‘compelling and clear cut’, according to Unison general secretary Christina McAnea.
She told the union's annual local government conference that an improved pay deal for council and school employees is vital for the economy and community services.
The claim came in her keynote speech in Liverpool as the union's members continued to vote in one of the biggest strike ballots the union has undertaken.
More than a third of a million council and school staff are being asked to vote on a £1,925 offer in England and Wales, well below Unison's claim for inflation plus 2%.
Christina McAnea told delegates: 'The case for better pay is compelling and clear cut, but the strike vote isn't just to get more pay, it’s to save services and shine a spotlight on the chronic underfunding of essential services.
'In a cost-of-living crisis, workers have options. They can take a second job or get better-paid work elsewhere, and people are leaving.'
She added: 'Unison wants to work with employers, local authorities and schools to lobby and put pressure on governments across the UK for a fairer deal.'
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