Frontline community and youth workers have voted to take strike action over a 3% pay rise - which they say would leave their members earning less than many of the young people with whom they work.
The ballot of Community and Youth Workers Union members was overwhelming in favour of action: 87% voted for the strike.
Doug Nicholls, general secretary of the union, told EducationGuardian.co.uk: "Recruitment and retention take money, and the employers are trying to solve it with cheap fixes.
"We've got a meeting with the employers on March 2 - until then we have withdrawn all goodwill. After that we are planning to take industrial action, and some branches will take strike action.
"It's a very critical situation for the future of the profession and youth service. We've got to get it right, otherwise the service will be fatally damaged for the future."
This is the first time in its 66-year history that the CYWU has voted for strike action. It is demanding a bigger rise than the 3% on the table, and better pay progression for people at the top of the scale to encourage retention and improved training.
The Employers' Organisation for local government said it was disappointed that the action had been approved. Mike Walker, director of negotiations at the organisation, said: "Employers want to continue negotiations, but need a realistic agenda. The last set of proposals from the union side were impossible to work with.
"The unions need to concentrate on developing realistic proposals rather than resorting to another threat of strike action, as at least one of them appears to be doing now."
