Residents of a London borough face the threat of a bin strike after refuse workers in a pay dispute backed industrial action.
The GMB union said it will now formally ballot members who work in Richmond, in the south west of the capital, on industrial action if contractor Serco does not bring forward a revised pay offer by Friday (October 24).
GMB said Serco had not presented anything concrete to bin staff working in the borough, despite pay talks stretching back to April and an indication that an improved offer would be made.
Workers, who are all members of the union, took part in a consultative ballot on the firm's last offer, with most respondents voting in favour of industrial action if pay talks continued to stall.
Serco urged GMB to avoid progressing to a formal ballot and said it was meeting the union again next week.
Richmond Council, which owns the contract, added it was working closely with the firm to resolve the dispute.
Craig Prickett, regional organiser at GMB, said: "Our members have been incredibly patient with their employer. They keep the borough running every day, and they deserve a wage that reflects their hard work and the rising cost of living.
"We have tried to resolve this through negotiation, but Serco's delay - now into months rather than weeks - is simply unacceptable. If no offer is received by this Friday, we will have no option but to begin a formal ballot for industrial action.
"GMB is calling on Serco to come back to the table and make a fair offer that recognises the vital contribution of its workforce."
A Serco spokesperson said: "We remain committed to constructive dialogue with the GMB and continue to work in partnership to reach a resolution. We urge the union to avoid progressing to a formal industrial action ballot while pay discussions are still actively underway, with a further meeting with them arranged for next week."
A Richmond Council spokesperson added: "We acknowledge the important part our Serco workforce plays and the immense value they bring to supporting our communities. We are working closely with Serco to help resolve this matter sensibly and as quickly as possible."
