Local government staff should prepare for pay strikes

Sunday 14 June 2026

Council and school staff should prepare for strike action if employers refuse to improve their current pay offer, UNISON general secretary Andrea Egan will tell the union’s local government conference today (Sunday).

Addressing delegates in Brighton, Andrea will urge up to 200,000 council and school staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to back the union’s strike ballots beginning next month and help secure the turnout needed to win an improved pay offer.

She will say: “Strike action is our leverage. It’s our way of saying to employers we won’t just accept crumbs from the table. We won’t accept lower wages, and we won’t accept real-terms pay cuts.”

Walkouts could affect schools, social care, children’s services, waste collection, libraries and housing services, UNISON says.

The move to ballot workers comes after local government employers just days ago refused to budge on their pay offer of 3.3% for 2026/27. Unions are warning that staff have endured years of effective pay cuts amid rising workloads and soaring demand for services.

With Treasury forecasts suggesting inflation could reach 3.5% by the end of 2026, UNISON says council and school staff are at high risk of slipping further behind living costs. The union says local government workers have already lost around a quarter of their pay since 2010.

In her speech, Andrea will also urge the Westminster government to improve council and school financial settlements to help boost services and pay following more than a decade of austerity.

UNISON research shows local government has a shortfall of around £4bn just to maintain current services. And vital provision lost during years of budget cuts – including Sure Start and youth centres – is a long way from being restored, the union says.

Speaking ahead of the conference, UNISON general secretary Andrea Egan said: “Local government and school staff keep communities going. They support vulnerable families, care for older people, help children to thrive and deliver countless ‘invisible’ services millions rely upon.

“Staff deserve far more during the continued cost-of-living crisis. That’s why UNISON is doing everything possible to secure a strong turnout in next month’s ballot and to demand better pay.

“Strikes are always a last resort. But workers must be prepared to use every option available if employers believe dedicated council and school staff are worth just 3.3%, after years of cuts.

“Staff are fed up of being expected to do more for less in their pay packets. They deserve fair wages and properly funded services that restore the communities they serve.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON's Local Government Conference 2026 takes place today and tomorrow (14 and 15 June) at the Brighton Centre, Kings Road, Brighton BN1 2GR. It precedes the union's main National Delegate Conference, which runs from 16 to 19 June.
– The union's ballot of local government and school staff members in England and Wales runs from 9 July to 6 August. Members in Northern Ireland will be balloted in September.
– UNISON's most recent report into the funding gap in council budgets was published in October 2025 and details can be found here.
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

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