Refuse workers in North Norfolk and Breckland are voting on whether to strike over an unresolved dispute with the contractor Serco over pay.

Workers who are part of the country's largest trade union, Unison, have been asked to have their say on strike action, after the union claims it had lowed an initial pay claim to £14.50 per hour for HGV drivers and £12 for loaders.

Cameron Matthews, the union's eastern region organiser, said it was time for Serco to start passing on more than "crumbs" to its workers.

Mr Matthews said: “Serco is raking in millions in profits but only offering Norfolk refuse staff crumbs from its table. 

“Workers have bent over backwards to find a resolution to this dispute, but they need money to keep their heads above water as the cost of living keeps rising.

"Instead of trying to avoid strikes, Serco has decided to stop talking about pay entirely at one of these councils. 

“If strikes go ahead, it’ll be entirely down to Serco’s intransigence.

"Staff don’t want to cause residents any disruption but Serco has left them with no choice.” 

In 2021, strike action among Breckland's bin workers was avoided after they accepted improved conditions including a pay rise of between 1pc and 2.4pc, depending on their roles.

However, amid the spiralling cost of living and anticipated rise in interest rates, Unison went bargaining table on behalf of it struggling members.

During months of negotiations, Serco has made a pay increase offer worth 4pc to HGV drivers and around 7pc for loaders. 

Unison has also launched a public petition asking members of the public to support refuse workers, which can be found here unsn.uk/NorfolkSerco.

If refuse collectors were to strike in North Norfolk, it would follow months of disrupted services. Serco has missed thousands of bin collections since collection routes were changed at the start of September. 

George Roach Serco's senior contact manager, said: “It is always our intention to work in partnership with our trade union partners and in line with our recognition agreements.

"We have been fully engaged in conciliation discussions through ACAS (the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) in an attempt to avert any strike action.

"However, we are disappointed that our enhanced, above-inflation offer on basic pay, backdated to April 2022, has not been accepted by the unions.

"The further increased claims put forward by the unions, which were as much as 50pc and several times the rate of inflation, are unachievable.

"We hope our employees will reconsider and accept what we consider to be a very good offer for the Norfolk region."