Thousands of council workers in Scotland have voted overwhelmingly to reject a pay offer from local government employers.

Unison members were asked to give their views on a pay offer that promised a 2.2% uplift from 1 April, with a further 2% increase taking effect from 1 October.

Around 91% of those balloted rejected the offer.

The trade union will now begin the process of balloting over strike action.

Unison Scotland's local government committee chair Colette Hunter said the result should be a ‘wakeup call' for the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA).

A COSLA spokesperson insisted the workforce was ‘highly valued' by council leaders, adding: ‘We are concerned that the threatened strike action will harm communities and put service users at risk.'