Three major local government trade unions representing around 1.6 million town hall staff have demanded ‘a substantial increase' in next year's pay settlement.

A joint statement issued today by the GMB, Unison and Unite trade unions, following the submission of their pay claim to the National Joint Council for Local Government Services (NJC), urged an end to the three-year pay freeze in council salaries.

The NJC workforce – which includes librarians, school dinner ladies, bin men and street cleaners – has experienced a 13% pay reduction since 2009 because of the combination of the salary squeeze combined with higher living costs, the unions asserted.

According to union sources, the pay claim for 2013/14 aims to bring salaries in line with inflation and the cost of living - with the goal of making the ‘Living Wage' the baseline for future wage agreements.

Unison head of local government, Heather Wakefield, said: ‘This three-year pay freeze has been unique to the public sector, and has seen wages in real terms driven down by 13%, while the cost of living soars. This situation should not be acceptable by anyone's standards, and it certainly is unacceptable by ours.'

Brian Strutton, GMB natonal secretary, predicted ‘a rocky road ahead for these crucial negotiations', complaining council leaders were bargaining for pay raises at the expense of worsening terms and conditions.

In response, a spokesman for the Local Government Association said council employers have made it clear since February they wish to avoid a the pay freeze extending into a fourth year.

‘We will be working within the extremely challenging financial constraints facing local government to try and make that happen,' the spokesman added.

‘Informal discussions with the unions have already taken place. We hope to take those forward in the same mutually positive spirit which this year delivered fair, affordable reform of local government pensions.'