UNISON members were given the green light for a ballot on industrial action after rejecting the pay offer from employers.

The offer is below the current inflation rate of 4.2% and less that the increase in average earnings across the economy.

If members vote Yes to industrial action, that is likely to start with a two-day all-out strike in early July, and be followed by a sustained campaign of escalating action, involving strikes of more than two days.

Asking members to vote for action, the union is making it clear that the employers' offer is final, and "solid and sustained" industrial action will be needed to convince the employers to reopen negotiations.

However, it is widely believed that UNISON's leadership wishes to avoid a strike. One member told us "we'll need a big Yes vote on a high turnout for them not to try to call it off like they did last year."

A source also informs us that teachers are discussing co-inciding their second strike with the proposed stoppage. One local government worker told us "their striking with us would spur us on, so I hope they do."

In Scotland, an 80% rejection result in UNISON’s local government pay consultation is also likely to lead to a campaign and an industrial action ballot.

The offer from the Scottish employers, hasn’t been improved in recent discussions despite recent increases in inflation. It stays at 2.5% each year for three years, with no weighting for the low paid, and no chance to reopen negotiations should inflation continue to increase over that period.

Scotland UNISON’s local government committee stated it will try and build a united campaign for industrial action with the other unions on the Scottish negotiating body - but they kept negotiation separate from the rest of the UK.

UNISON is also proposing to split up local government and school council workers for negotiations, which will further divide and weaken workers.