FURTHER strikes are expected in Southampton after crunch talks to end industrial action broke down without a deal.

As reported yesterday, the city council and the unions were meeting yesterday and this morning through the mediation service ACAS in a bid to thrash out a solution to a bitter dispute over mass staff pay cuts.

But after more than 20 hours of tense negotiations the two sides have parted their ways. No date for new meetings has been set.

The council put forward a 10 point plan amending its pay cuts, offering to remove around half the staff from them.

Council leader Royston Smith said: “Today we offered trade unions a ten point set of proposals including one major concession which was to lift over 50 per cent of staff out of any pay cuts at all.

“As part of a raft of proposals anyone earning £22,000 or less would no longer have their pay cut.

“In addition we have committed to a review of all terms and conditions changes within two years in consultation with the unions.

“I’m very disappointed and surprised that despite making breakthrough proposals the trade unions refused to discuss them any further. “We see this as an exceptional final offer and remain ready to continue talks at anytime.”

Librarians, street cleaners, traffic wardens, Itchen Bridge toll collectors and bin men, who returned to work yesterday after a two week stoppage, are now set to walk out for at least seven days on Tuesday.

The crippling strikes over the past five weeks have gained the city national notoriety as the first local authority to strike over tough austerity cuts.

Ian Woodland, Unite's regional industrial organiser, said: “The unions have provided the council with the offer of stopping all industrial action in return for them dropping the 11th July sacking date of our members.

"Unfortunately the Council declined our offer but we are hopeful they will see sense and return to the table soon to settle this damaging industrial dispute."

The council's Unison branch secretary Mike Tucker said: “We are disappointed that the talks did not end in agreement.

"The council's decision to proceed with the mass dismissal of Council workers will not go unchallenged. Southampton City Council is the only council in the country taking this approach.

"The Conservative administration needs to pull back from its confrontation with the workforce”.