Binmen, teaching assistants and library staff will join thousands of support workers in a mass strike over pay tomorrow.

Five picket lines will be set up across the borough before trade union members from Unison, GMB, NUT and Unite join forces and march to a rally at Trafalgar Square starting at 1pm.

Unison said a pay freeze in 2010, 2011 and 2012 and below inflation rises in eight of the past 17 years has sent the pay packets of local government and school workers back to the level of the 1990s.

John Burgess, Barnet Unison branch secretary, said: "We have learnt on the eve of the strike that the Government is making it clear that all public sector workers will have to endure a further four years of pay cuts.

"Our members have had to take a 20 per cent cut in pay on the back of the ongoing cost of living crisis. Our members cannot afford to take a further cut of up to 20 per cent.

"Pay cuts won't pay the rent or the mortgage, pay cuts don't pay the food bill, pay cuts don't pay the heating and water bills. When the council asks for the council tax bills will they accept no payment for the next four years?"

Mr Burgess is urging people to get behind the campaign and make their voices heard "loud and clear for fair funding for locally delivered public services" in Barnet.