Unions want the rate for council workers to be increased from �1,400 to �4,000, but their employers say this would cost local councils an extra �250m.

The action is affecting schools, housing benefit offices, libraries and refuse collections across the capital.

The three main local government unions failed to persuade employers to increase the London Weighting allowance for their members at a meeting on 12 September.

We expect every single local authority to be affected and we expect every service of local authority to be affected

Dave Eggmore, Unison

Alison Howard, who works for Islington Council, is on strike because she feels "we deserve more money".

She told BBC London: "We haven't had a proper rise in London Weighting in a long, long time.

"The chief executive is on �100,000 a year now or more and if he needs that to live in London then we need more to live in London."

Dave Eggmore, from Unison, said the one-day industrial action will affect all council services across the city.

Cost of living

"Obviously the level of disruption will vary a little, but we expect every single local authority to be affected and we expect every service of local authority to be affected."

Unison, the T&G and the GMB unions represent 100,000 council workers.

They want a flat rate rise of �4,000 a year to help their members meet the costs of living in the capital.

Currently council workers can expect London Weighting allowances of between �1,400 and �2,600.

'Public suffer'

The unions say this does not bridge the gap between salaries and the high cost of living in the city.

Simon Pannell, from the Association of London Government, said local authorities are trying to keep disruption to a minimum.

"Quite clearly one of the concerns from council is to try and keep essential services going particularly those which are for vulnerable people - meals on wheels for example.

"So a lot of effort will be going in locally to make sure those key services run but inevitably there will be some disruption to services so obviously it is members of the public who will suffer as a result."

Mr Eggmore said: "From next week we are looking at selective action. We would be pulling out key groups of workers from specific services in boroughs."