Bin collectors struggling to make ends meet - union

The majority of Unison members voted in support of taking strike action

Refuse workers, customer service staff and planning officers in Huntingdonshire could strike later this month over pay.

In July, the union Unison said it was urgently seeking meetings with Huntingdonshire District Council to avoid a walk-out, after 76% of its members voted to support strike action.

The council had offered staff a 4% pay rise and a one-off payment of £1,000, with a further payment in December, but the union said it would still leave workers "struggling to make ends meet".

The council said it was preparing for planned industrial action between 21 and 25 August and contingency planning was under way to "try and limit the impact on residents".

Rob Turner, Unison branch secretary, said: "Huntingdonshire's employees aren't asking for the moon, just a fair pay increase that better reflects the rising cost of rent, food, fuel, energy and pretty much everything else as the cost of living crisis continues to bite."

Martin Hassall, the Liberal Democrat executive councillor for corporate and shared services, said: "Each percentage increase in staff salary costs the council £250,000 a year, and this year's pay award already requires an additional £5m to fund it over the next five years.

"Unless financial results are better than forecast, or the longer-term financial landscape changes, further consolidated pay increases this year look to be unaffordable."

The authority said talks to resolve the dispute continued, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.