COUNCIL social workers, teaching assistants, street cleaners, youth workers, and planners in Derbyshire have voted to take strike action over pay on Thursday, July 10.
And city council leader, councillor Ranjit Banwait, says he supports their right to do so.
Unison has taken the decision to strike nationally following the 1% pay rise offered to most local government staff for this financial year.
The lowest paid staff at local authorities had received a slightly higher offer.
The union was yesterday unable to provide figures for how many of its members voted for the strike in Derbyshire.
But nationally it said the figure was 58.7%, or 49,836.
The strike will take place on the same day as teachers in the National Union of Teachers walk out over pensions and conditions.
Mike Brown, Unison regional organiser for Derbyshire, said: "Derbyshire schools staff and council workers have sent a clear message to the government and council employers that this year's local government pay offer of 1% is the last straw.
"After three consecutive years of pay freezes, followed by a below-inflation rise in 2013, this final offer has pushed staff to the edge.
"Schools staff and council workers pay is now worth almost 20% less since the government came into power.
"58.7% of UNISON members voted to take action. These members include social workers, teaching assistants, street cleaners, youth workers, planners, and engineers. These staff provide essential services to their communities.
"They regularly give extra and go further to help the people they serve despite services being cut back, staff being made redundant, and staff terms and conditions being stripped back.
"After all these years these hard-pressed staff deserve a decent pay rise. They do the best for us we should do the best by them."
The Unite and GMB ballots of councils and schools staff members for strike action over pay will close at the end of June.
If these ballots support action, the members of all three unions will take strike action on July 10.
Mr Banwait said he "respected any union's right to strike".
He said: "It's the cornerstone of a worker's rights to withdraw their labour and they've taken a democratic decision to do that.
"I entirely respect the right of unions to stand up for their workers.
"We now need to sit down with them and listen to their grievances but it's too early to say what the outcome of that might be."
Mr Banwait said "a flaw in the capitalist system" had led to the recession which caused the country's financial problems.
He said: "There's got to be an alternative between outright capitalism and socialism – a middle ground."
A Derbyshire County Council spokesman said: "We will ensure essential services are maintained should strike action go ahead on July 10.
"Around a third of our workforce are members of one of the three recognised unions.
"It is a matter for each individual to decide whether they will participate in strike action, so it is difficult to estimate exactly how many employees will be involved."
