FACE-to-face talks between the council and unions to end strike misery in Southampton have broken up without agreement.

But city residents will see bin collections and street cleaning resume on Monday as unions have halted strike action for talks to resume next week.

Council and unions leaders met for around three hours on Friday to try and find a way to resolve two months of industrial action in the city by up to 2,400 council workers. A series of walkouts by hundreds of union members has left rubbish spilling on to the streets of the city.

Talks through the mediation service ACAS ended in stalemate three weeks ago. Both sides declined to discuss the progress of the latest meeting.

Council leader, Royston Smith, said: “We have started the process and we will be meeting again next week. I remain optimistic we will come to a solution.”

Unison branch secretary, Mike Tucker, added: “We’ve agreed to meet next week but we’ve not called off the industrial action.”

Around 4,300 council workers this week signed new contracts under threat of dismissal, cutting their pay and conditions.

Unions have vowed to continue industrial action to restore the pay cuts of between two and 5.5 per cent unless they can reach a negotiated deal with the council. The council says the pay cuts will save 400 job.

They could announce a further wave of walkouts on Monday to begin on July 25. Nearly 1,000 council workers and trade unionists protested ahead of a council meeting at the Guildhall on Wednesday.