Hampstead Heath could face strike action after union members rejected a final pay offer.

The GMB union said 83% of its members employed by the City of London Corporation (CoLC) voted in an indicative poll to reject a final and "non-negotiable" pay offer of 3% and a one-off winter fuel payment of £1,000.

The union said this could mean strike action impacting the Heath – as well as Tower Bridge, the Barbican, the Old Bailey and other tourist attractions – if the CoLC does not get back around the negotiating table.

A CoLC spokesperson said the offer "addresses the challenges staff face in the fairest way possible".

Anna Lee, GMB London region organiser, said: “The Corporation continues to host lavish dinners and functions, whilst these low-paid workers are struggling to meet the costs of life’s basics and bills.

"The Corporation could choose to fund a real pay rise but they prefer to spend it on banquets for the bankers. This is unacceptable to our members so we will now move to an industrial action ballot.”

One GMB member employed by Corporation of London said: “By imposing a one-off winter fuel allowance of £1,000 as part of the pay award the Corporation has created a negative effect for several GMB union members who have student loan repayments.

"These members are now faced with paying hugely increased monthly amounts at a time when they can bearly afford to eat and are left feeling less advantaged and more angered and frustrated by the Corporation’s decision to impose."

A City of London Corporation spokesperson said: “Our offer means all our employees will get at least £2,300 extra. In our view, it addresses the challenges staff face in the fairest way possible, while ensuring we meet our statutory duty to deliver a balanced budget.

“We appreciate how difficult it is for many people in the current economic climate and the one-off payment of £1,000 provides real, practical support to all our staff to help them cope with the cost-of-living crisis, right now, when they need it most.

“The minimum pay increase included in this offer means our lowest paid staff – those most affected by the cost-of-living crisis – will receive an increase of over 12%.

“Through talks with the unions and ACAS, we have sought to find a solution acceptable to all, and we regret that this has not been possible.

“Providing the inflation-matching pay increase demanded by the unions would result in significant cuts to services, including making a considerable number of redundancies.”