SIR - The claims made by local government workers' union Unison, which is calling for strike action to support a pay claim for £1,750 or six per cent, are both inaccurate and misleading.

Unison has claimed that councillors' allowances were rising fast but this is simply not true.

This year the Chester-le-Street District Council unanimously decided to freeze councillors' allowances. We wanted to employ more people to clean up the environment and rather than pay ourselves more we have taken on an additional four employees and provided a vehicle.

Already there is an improvement to the service and the council has received many compliments. For five of the last seven years councillors have refused to pay themselves more.

I don't think there will be a council in the country which has voted for no increase and to suggest otherwise is mischievous and misleading of Unison.

Another claim by Unison is that female workers take home only 66p for every £1 a male colleague earns.

When we appoint people we do not distinguish as to whether a man or a woman gets a post. So long as women do the same job as a man they get paid the same rate.

I urge employees to accept a three per cent wage increase, which is higher than the rate of inflation and more than the average pay settlement throughout the country.

I pride myself in financial prudence and giving the best level of services. For the twelfth successive year we have the lowest council tax in County Durham, yet recently we have put an additional £80,000 into environmental cleansing and £4,000 has been made available for an improved recycling service.

Unison's demand is for an 11.8 per cent increase and if it is met in full it will undoubtedly mean fewer jobs and poorer services.

Malcolm Pratt, Leader, Chester-le-Street District Council