More than 15,000 council workers across Sussex could go on strike in a new dispute over pay.

Refuse collectors, park-keepers, librarians, dinner ladies, administrative staff, social workers and others are poised to take industrial action after it was revealed their pay would be frozen this year, despite inflation rising to 2.9%.

They are among 1.4 million workers who will be affected by the decision by Local Government Employers (LGE), which represents councils across Britain and sets the standard annual pay increase.

The LGE's announcement has infuriated public sector trade unions Unison, GMB and Unite, who had jointly asked for a 2.5% increase.

Their national leaders said the decision, which will come into force on April 1, was a "slap in the face" for hard-working staff.

Trade union representatives in Sussex said their members were unlikely to accept the pay offer and industrial action was likely.

The freeze will affect all staff at Brighton and Hove City Council, East and West Sussex County Councils as well as ten of the 12 district councils across the counties. Only Wealden and Rother district councils in East Sussex set their pay separately from the national agreement.

The freeze will not affect teachers or firefighters, whose pay is negotiated through a separate process, and does not stop staff receiving incremental rises they may be due.

The three unions will be meeting nationally in the next fortnight to decide how to respond. Any ballot for industrial action would then be taken on a national level.