Unison is to ballot members for strike action after the union said it has lost confidence in Glasgow City Council to settle equal pay claims.

Members said they had been "betrayed" by council negotiators who ended months of discussions to instead work out a deal behind closed doors.

The council denied this and said it was committed to discussions on an offer that will be made in December, with its equal pay team working "as fast as possible" on the issue.

Unison will issue papers to 2,000 members in Cordia and 2,700 in Education from August 28 in the ballot which closes on September 18.

Branch chair Carol Ball said: "In light of the Council's failure there is no alternative other than to now formally ballot members in our branch on strike action.

"The purpose of strike action would be to force the Council to negotiate and agree a proper settlement package within an acceptable timescale."

A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: "This is simply untrue.

"The Council has committed to make an offer in December, which it will do, and we are committed to discuss the component parts of that offer prior to that.

"We have discussed this with the claimants' representatives a number of times - most recently today."

He added: "It is not at all clear why they continually insist on misleading their members. The fact remains that the council's equal pay team is working as fast as possible on this.

"Unison knows that strike action cannot possibly make this process move any faster, given they signed up to negotiations until the end of the year.

"Therefore, putting vulnerable people at risk by calling a strike which cannot possibly change the timescale all claimants agreed to cannot be justified."