THOUSANDS of workers across Kent today staged a one-day strike as part of the first national strike by local authority staff in the UK since the 1979 winter of discontent.

The workers are angry over the employers' "miserly" three per cent pay offer and claim they are being treated as the public sector's "poor relations".

An estimated 1.2 million local authority staff across the country walked out for 24 hours, demanding a six per cent rise, £1,750, to bring the minimum wage to £11,017 a year.

Local authority employers say the pay claim is unreasonable and would cost over £1,500 million nationally - adding almost £80 a year to average council tax bills if the claim is met entirely through council tax.

An undertaking by the strikers and their unions meant that emergency services were not affected, but there were reports of schools, libraries, council administration centres, sports centres and care homes being hit.

There are plans for another 24-hour national strike in August if today's action does not lead to a renegotiated pay settlement.