COUNCIL workers will renew strike action at Wrexham and Cardiff councils tomorrow as their industrial action escalates.

Unite Wales members are resuming their continuous strike action for a further three weeks to October 15. 

Members at the two councils have already taken two weeks of strike action after rejecting the local authority employers’ pay offer of £1,925 — a poorer offer than last year and a real-terms pay cut. 

The union says that many of its members in Welsh local authorities work for pay barely above the national minimum wage.

Unite Wales regional secretary Peter Hughes said: “Welsh local authority workers have seen their pay decimated in recent years. 

“Despite this, council leaders think it’s acceptable to propose what amounts to a real-terms pay cut when workers increasingly can’t make ends meet.”

Union research has found that many council workers are resorting to foodbanks to support their families, while local authority workers in Wales have seen real-terms pay cuts of about 20 per cent over the past decade.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “After enduring years of wage stagnation, our members in Cardiff and Wrexham councils are determined to fight for a better deal. 

“The political leadership in these councils need to step up, stop hiding behind the national pay body and negotiate locally with us. 

“Unite will be providing our members with its complete support during their strike action.”

The union says that strike action will have a major impact on refuse collections and recycling centres in Cardiff and Wrexham.