Striking council workers have warned of a “significant escalation” as they protested outside council offices.

Housing repair workers in Haringey who are members of union Unite have walked out over pay on five days in recent months.

A total of 130 employees will also strike on November 15 to 17 and December 18 to 24.

It comes after they rejected the national pay offer for local government staff, which would have seen pay increase by £1,925 for the next financial year.

Some striking workers gathered outside River Park House in Wood Green earlier today (November 3), warning that they will extend their action into next year unless more progress is made in negotiations.

Unite claims that the offer amounts to a real terms pay cut and that councils are able to award their workers more than the local government pay increase.

But Haringey Council has claimed that as the strike relates to a national pay dispute, it is a process in which it has "no direct role".

It comes just months after the union’s survey of more than 1,400 members in local government found that nearly half (48%) have struggled to pay their utility bills.

Almost a quarter (23%) claimed they were skipping meals to save money, and 6% had been forced to use food banks.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Haringey council must stop stalling otherwise it faces a significant escalation of industrial action.

“Other London councils have already improved their pay offers so there is absolutely no reason why Haringey can’t do the same.”

She added: “Today’s protest is a reminder that Unite members are standing firm and they have the union’s complete support.” 

When asked about industrial action in September, Cllr Sarah Williams, Haringey Council's cabinet member for housing services, private renters and planning said: “We value our staff and strive to be a fair and welcoming employer, and we recognise that this industrial action is largely a response to the cost-of-living crisis impacting workers across the country.

“This strike comes during a major investment and improvement programme aiming to deliver a high-quality housing repairs service.

"We apologise to all our tenants and leaseholders and want to reassure them we will be doing all we can to minimise the knock-on effect on our residents during the four strike days.”