Councils in Hampshire are bracing for possible strike action
The union is expected to begin voting at the start of July as part of ongoing national pay negotiations
Councils have said it is “too early” to assess the impact of possible strike action as UNISON prepares to ballot members.
The union is expected to begin voting at the start of July as part of ongoing national pay negotiations, raising the prospect of industrial action affecting local authority services. This includes schools, social care, libraries and housing.
A Gosport Borough Council spokesperson said the authority was monitoring the situation but stressed no strike action had been agreed.
They said: “The council is aware that UNISON is planning to ballot members at the start of July regarding possible industrial action.
“While we are monitoring the situation closely, no strike action has been agreed at this stage and the ballot forms part of the ongoing national pay discussions.
“We will continue to engage constructively with our trade union colleagues locally and are committed to maintaining open dialogue. Our priority is to support our workforce while ensuring continuity of essential services for residents.
“As this is a national matter, any potential impact on council services will depend on the outcome of the ballot. We have appropriate contingency arrangements in place should they be needed, but it is too early to speculate on specific impacts.”
Eastleigh Borough Council also said it is too soon to determine how services could be affected.
A spokesperson said: “We won’t know the outcome of the UNISON ballot until August, and we don’t hold records of which members of staff hold UNISON membership, as that is between the employee and the union, so it is far too early to assess which areas of the council might be impacted, were a strike to be called.
“However, residents can be assured that we will work hard to ensure that key services continue to be delivered where needed.”
The ballot comes after a 3.3 per cent pay increase for 2026/27 was offered.
UNISON argued this amounts to a real-terms pay cut, with inflation forecast to reach around 3.5 per cent by the end of 2026.
The union has also said council workers have lost around a quarter of their pay in real terms since 2010.
The outcome of the ballot is expected later this summer.