COUNCIL workers are back on the picket lines today as union and council leaders resume talks to end the dispute.

But as talks get underway unions are preparing to announce even more strikes for next week.

As revealed in Saturday’s Daily Echo Southampton’s bin men decided not to take strike action this time round, after a slim majority voted in favour of working to rule instead.

Those who are striking to-day include street cleaners, parking wardens and toll collectors, who will be manning the picket lines at the town depot and the Woolston end of Itchen Bridge.

This latest action over pay cuts is expected to last seven days and although bin men will be at work, union leaders warned that this did not mean that they would not take strike action at a later date.

A fourth day of talks between the two sides broke up without agreement on Friday, but Mike Tucker, Unison branch secretary, confirmed to the Daily Echo that talks would resume this morning.

He added: “We will be asking for the same, for the pay cuts to be withdrawn. We will also be giving the council notice of more strikes.”

Council leader Royston Smith said last night that there would be nine external trucks ready to launch into action if the bin men joined other council workers on the picket line.