Staff in five government departments are set for strike action over pay in what appears set to be the biggest civil service industrial dispute for 15 years.

The Public and Commercial Services Union said that it would call two days of strikes next Thursday and Friday and then organise overtime bans and working to rule.

The union says action needs to be taken to address "poverty pay" in the civil service.

But the Independent reports that ministers have signalled they will not yield to the union's demands.