Â鶹Éç

Welsh government and Natural Resources Wales staff will strike in May and June in a dispute over pay.

Members of the Prospect union will walk out on 11 May and 7 June after rejecting proposed pay deals offering a 4% rise in wages.

The union says the existing deal will further erode living standards as inflation hits double digits.

Ministers said they were committed to working with unions to resolve issues, including on pay and conditions.

But Daniel Maney, Prospect's negotiations officer for Wales, said it was "with a heavy heart that we announce further industrial action in Wales" as "our members have been left with no other choice".

"After more than a decade of real terms pay cuts, the cost of living crisis has pushed our members over the edge. Having worked tirelessly through the pandemic, it is only fair that they are rewarded in line with their colleagues in education and health," he said.

A Welsh government spokesperson said: "We have a constructive relationship with our trade unions and we are committed to working in social partnership with them to resolve any issues, including holding regular discussions on pay and conditions."

The announcement follows news that civil servants in England will walk out on 10 May and 7 June across government departments.

Environment Agency workers began a three-day strike on Friday over claims of "endemic low pay".