Councils are facing a £279m increase to the national pay bill after offering 1.5m employees a 1.5% increase for 2021-22.

The offer from the national local government employers, who negotiate pay on behalf of 350 councils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, falls well short of the unions’ joint claim for a 10% rise.

Employers also rejected the unions' bid for a homeworking allowance for all staff who are working from home, a reduction of the working week to 35 hours with no loss of pay and a minimum of 25 days annual leave for all starting employees.

A letter to the unions from employers’ secretary Naomi Cooke read: 'The national employers hope this offer can quickly form the basis of an agreement between the two sides so that employees, who continue to provide such critical support to their communities, can receive a well-deserved pay rise as soon as practicable.'