UNIONS will urge council workers not to accept a pay proposal to end months of crippling industrial action in Southampton, the Daily Echo can reveal.

Council and union leaders agreed the basis for a negotiated settlement to reverse some of the pay cuts imposed on thousands of staff during talks two weeks ago.

The details of the secret deal will be unveiled to union members today.

Unison branch secretary Mike Tucker said the proposal was the “best we could negotiate” but added his union would not be recommending it should be accepted.

“Members will have to decide whether to vote yes or no,” he said.

Unite regional officer Ian Woodland also said it would go to a vote but has recommended its members reject the proposal.

It comes as the Tory-run council plans to axe 217 more jobs next year.

The proposal would see half of the council workforce lifted out of the July pay cuts of between two and 5.5 per cent forced on council staff earnings over £17,500.

That provoked three months of rolling strikes over the summer which left rubbish spilling on to the city streets. The strikes have been suspended but work-to-rule industrial action is continuing to cause widespread disruption to bin collections.

If accepted in a secret ballot of union members next month, staff earning under £22,000 would receive no pay cut.

Staff earning around £22,500 would receive a two per cent rather than 4.5 per cent cut.

Those earning between £23,000 and £35,000 would see their 4.5 per cent pay cut reduced to 3.7 per cent. Staff earning between £35,000 and £57,000 would have a 4.2 per cent rather than 5 per cent cut. And higher earners would take a five rather than 5.5 per cent cut. The reduced pay cuts would be backdated to July.

But a two-year pay freeze would remain in place until April 2013.

And under the deal the unions would have to drop a £12m legal claim that the council failed to properly consult about its plans to dismiss staff if they didn’t sign up to worse contracts.

Mr Woodland, of Unite, branded that clause “unacceptable”.

The council last night said it remained “optimistic” the proposal would be accepted.

The proposal is a slight improvement on a previous “final offer” resoundingly rejected by union members in August, who voted four to one against it.

It would cost the council £1.17million, including £500,000 ring fenced for a social worker pay review, reducing its pay and conditions savings to around £5million.

The council maintains the cuts will protect 400 jobs as it seeks to save £75m over four years following Government funding cuts.

Unison blamed the council for the delay in publishing the proposal.

The council said it was waiting for the unions to follow their protocols.