UNION members will be taking part in an alternative Christmas sing song to highlight the need for a living wage in local government.

Unison members will take to the steps of County Hall in Dorchester tomorrow for a Christmas carol ‘sing up’ as part of their campaign for a living wage for Dorset.

Unison’s Dorset county branch secretary Pamela Jefferies said: “For three years local government workers suffered a pay freeze, followed by a miserly one per cent rise.

“Conditions have also been cut at local level.

“Local government pay has dropped in real terms by 20 per cent and it now worth ten per cent less than it was in 1997.

“That’s why we’re campaigning for a better deal.”

The Unison choir will be singing alternative carols to some very familiar tunes as part of the union’s Strike a Chord for Local Government Pay Day.

Pamela said: “Although councillors have agreed that they want to consider improving staff pay, we thought we would send them a seasonal message and ask them to show good will to all their staff at this festive time of year.”