BELFAST City Council has been urged to come to the negotiating table as workers take strike action over pay. 

Unite the Union members employed by 11 of the North's local Councils, the Education Authority and the Housing Executive began strike action today after voting to reject a 1.75 per cent pay offer. The union has described the offer as a "real terms pay cut".

On Friday, Belfast City Council warned that the industrial action will have an impact on some waste collection and street cleansing routes, as well as other frontline services and council venues.

Some school bus services have also been impacted.

Pay is negotiated on behalf of local authorities on UK-wide basis at the National Joint Council (NJC). However, Unite Regional Officer, Kieran Ellison, said that NJC 'Green Book' rules allows local authorities to negotiate on an"employer-by-employer basis".

"Nationally they're saying it's a done deal, but locally none of the employers have ruled out sitting down with trade unions and trying to finding another way," he told Belfastmedia.com.

"Many of these employers understand the case that's being made to them; in the current financial climate, with inflation, 1.75 per cent does not cut the mustard."

He said striking workers had experienced a real terms pay cut of 22 per cent over the past decade.

"Taking industrial action is the last place that trade unions go, but whenever employers who are represented nationally close down discussions and say that 1.75 per cent is the best they can offer then they put us into a corner," he said.

"Unite – firmly through our membership – is saying enough is enough and we're taking a stand."

Last April, Councillors on Belfast City Council, which could face strike action, passed a People Before Profit motion to support the union's 10 per cent pay claim.

Belfast City Council said it is "working hard to minimise the impact on residents and businesses".

"The industrial action, which is taking place across NI councils and other public sector organisations, is in relation to NJC pay, which is negotiated nationally for England, Wales and Northern Ireland by the National Employers for Local Government Services," a spokesperson said.