Trade union Unison is poised to ballot its 600,000 local government and school members in England over taking industrial action, in protest against this year's pay offer.

The announcement follows the results of a consultative ballot among Unison members, which overwhelmingly rejected the National Employers' offer of a second successive 1% wage increase.

Around 70% of Unison members, who number planners, administrators, social workers and teaching assistants voted against accepting this year's pay offer.