COUNCIL workers are gearing up for their first strike over pay for many years.

A one-day stoppage on July 17 has been pencilled in as a day of action if last-minute talks fail.

Three of the largest trade unions, Unison, GMB and the TGWU, are balloting members over a six per cent pay claim.

Managers at national level have offered just three per cent, and union bosses are recommending that their members reject this.

Any strike would affect thousands of local authority employees, from bin men to social workers, library staff to park keepers.

Union officials say staff are very angry with an offer of three per cent, when MPs awarded themselves eight per cent and some councillors voted to increase their allowances by up to 60 per cent.

Mr Graham Wells, GMB branch secretary, said: "Although council workers care deeply about doing a good job for Bury, they were not cared for by their employer.

"The future of local government services has to encompass well-trained, highly-skilled and motivated employees who receive a decent living standard in return."

About 1.3 million workers are represented by the three unions. Any national walkout would be the first of its kind since the "winter of discontent" in 1978/79.

Mr Steve Morton, branch secretary of Bury Unison, said: "I've been surprised by the number of people who are quite angry about the offer.

"It's no surprise when you look at other public services, such as doctors, nurses, and the police, who have all got bigger settlements than that."

Bury, like other local authorities, pays its workforce whatever has been agreed by the national negotiating bodies. It has set aside provision for a three per cent rise in this year's budget for non-teaching staff.

However, unions are further annoyed that Labour-controlled councils in the North seem to be taking a tougher line on the offer than their counterparts in the South.