Strikingly similar to '78?

Nick Watson Producer Politics Show West Midlands

Striking workers gather for a rally during a 24 hour strike in February

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With the countdown to this year's local elections reaching a climax workers at Birmingham City Council have been on strike for two days.

Will it make any difference to how people vote on 1 May 2008?

The latest stoppage comes during economic hard times and with oil and food prices rising and a Labour Prime Minister having difficulty deciding when to call a General Election, you could be forgiven for thinking it is 1978 not 2008.

Around 70 schools were closed on day one and that number almost doubled on day two because of a separate national pay dispute involving members of the National Union of Teachers.

Some libraries, leisure centres, museums and art galleries also shut up shop and some of the city's binmen also walked out hitting rubbish collections.

Day two also saw members of the PCSU taking action at Job Centres as unions sought to maximise the impact of the stoppages.

Equal pay rules

The strike in Birmingham is over pay restructuring as the council gets to grips with implementing the equal pay rules.

It is controversial because around 5,000 staff will see their pay cut - in some cases by thousands of pounds.

The council has to implement the changes to comply with the National Single Status Agreement. It was approved in 1997 - with trade union backing - to try to equalise pay between male and female workers doing equivalent jobs.

Even though the council says 48% of staff will see their pay rise and 40% will see no change in their wages, the joint trade unions and the council have been unable to resolve their differences leading to the latest 48 hour stoppage.

Valerie Broom, Regional Secretary for the public sector workers' union Unison, says the strike action is a last resort.

Charm offensive

"Birmingham City Council imposed their pay and grading structure at the beginning of April and have consistently refused to discuss that structure with Unison and the other trade unions.

"All that Unison and the other unions have sought to do is to put together a non discriminatory pay and grading structure, but the council seem to be intent on imposing this deeply flawed model."

Birmingham City Council Chief Executive Stephen Hughes

The council's Chief Executive, Stephen Hughes, has begun a charm offensive which has included circulating a DVD, which reputedly cost £9,500 to make, stating the case to staff.

"Following the previous industrial action the unions agreed to suspend any further strikes until a new improved offer had been put to all their members," said Mr Hughes.

Tough test

"Unfortunately this has not taken place, meaning thousands of employees have been denied the chance to consider proposals which for many will lead to improved pay, leave entitlement and conditions of employment."

The strikes are the toughest test yet for the ruling Conservative-Lib Dem coalition and they come just days ahead of local polls in which one third of the council's 120 seats are up for grabs.

So will the voters punish the ruling group for failing to resolve the dispute or will they turn their backs on Labour, which has decided to back the strikers? And is there any prospect on preventing more strikes?

Our reporter Susana Mendonca has been finding out.

Also in the programme...

A total of 19 Midlands councils go to the polls on 1 May for the 2008 local elections in the biggest electoral test Gordon Brown has faced since he became Prime Minister.

In our region votes will take place from Gloucester in the south to Stoke-on-Trent in the north and across all of the metropolitan authorities which make up the West Midlands conurbation.

In recent years Labour has been pegged back to its heartlands and now only has overall control in just three councils in our region in Wolverhampton, Sandwell and Nuneaton & Bedworth in Warwickshire.

Interesting night

The contest in Nuneaton & Bedworth is one to watch. For a start it is the only council outside the metropolitan area still in Labour hands.

And with half the council being elected the Conservatives need to make four gains to take overall control from Labour.

Labour is defending 11 seats this time round so it promises to be an interesting night.

Both Labour and the Conservativeas are fielding candidates in all 17 seats with the British National Party putting up in 12 seats in all.

Eight council gains

At Westminster Bill Olner currently holds the seat for Labour with a majority of 2,280 over the Conservatives.

He is stepping down next time around to be replaced by Jayne Innes for Labour and she will be anxious that her colleagues on the council hold on to power.

The Conservatives already have overall control in what was once the Labour domain of neighbouring Coventry - but can they now add Nuneaton to the eight councils which they gained in the Midlands in 2007?

Our Political Editor Patrick Burns has been to Nuneaton (and Bedworth) to find out if the Conservatives can make more gains or if there is simply not many more areas left for them to win.

The Politics Show for the West Midlands, with Jon Sopel and Michael Collie on Sunday 27 April, at 1200 BST on BBC One

If you have an issue you would like us to follow up then please write to the producer of the show: Nick Watson, BBC Politics Show, The Mailbox, Birmingham, B1 1RF or email [e-mail]