FINAL talks between Hampshire County Council managers and union leaders will resume on Wednesday to find a resolution to a pay dispute.

The next round of talks will come after four days of negotiations last week to reach an agreement.

Council staff have voted to reject a new pay and conditions deal after three unions balloted council members over proposals designed to address the equal pay issue.

In the Unison ballot, the main union at the council, 79 per cent of workers voted to refuse the package. Meanwhile, 88 per cent were opposed at T&G Unite and 80 per cent at GMB.

Union leaders are opposed to the introduction of performance related pay for council workers and want 16 grades on the new pay scale instead of 11.

Unison spokesman Rolli Rowlands said: "Both parties are striving to get to an agreement and things are going quite well at the moment."