Thousands of local government workers in London are staging a 48-hour strike over pay.

Members of Unison - who represent all groups of local authority staff - have staged walkouts at 33 boroughs.

The action is expected to cause widespread disruption in the capital, but is not likely to disrupt school exams.

The strike comes on the same day that a review body recommended that Mayor Ken Livingstone's pay should increase by almost 18% to �108,000.

The political elite have got their snouts in the trough

Geoff Martin

The independent Senior Salaries Review Board said Mr Livingstone's pay should be increased from the present �91,673.

The recommendations were due to be discussed by the Greater London Assembly on Wednesday.

Geoff Martin, Unison's London convenor, said: "The political elite have got their snouts in the trough while staff working at the sharp end on London's public services are left unable to pay their bills at the end of the month.

"It is a sad reflection of the current state of this country where politicians get massive increases in their pay and staff who run public services day in day out are told to accept less."

National ballot

Unison is campaigning for an allowance paid to London workers to be raised to �4,000.

The Association of London Government (ALG) said the pay demand, coupled with a national claim for a 6% increase on basic rates, would cost councils in the capital �600m.

"To meet these demands councils would have to raise council tax by �210 a year," said ALG chairman Sir Robin Wales.

Local authority workers across the country are currently being balloted for strike action after rejecting a "final" pay offer of 3%.