North Ayrshire Council hopes strike action can still be avoided despite members of two trade unions voting to down tools last week.
This would see, among other things, rubbish uncollected right across the region, as part of a national strike.
Unite, Unison and GMB members were balloted over a two per cent pay offer as the cost of living crisis has seen inflation rise to 11.8 per cent.
While Unite and the GMB voted for action, Unison – which accounts for the majority of workers balloted across Ayrshire – didn't reach the threshold that requires more than half of eligible members to vote in order to be 'valid'.
However, Unison did indicate that the vast majority of those who did vote were in favour of action.
Louise McDaid, Unison branch secretary for North Ayrshire, is fully backing the action although they just missed the 50 per cent target.
She said: “In England, Northern Ireland and Wales, they have been offered a flat rate of £1,950 which for the lowest paid is 10.5 per cent, but in Scotland the same workers are being offered two per cent.
“The main thing is the struggle people are having with the cost of living. We have fuel bills rising in October and I am really worried about how our members are going to cope.
“I don’t understand why any government or employer would have a workforce living on poverty wages. It’s baffling and it has to stop.
“We had 88.7 per cent turning out for the ballot but it has to be 50 per cent of those who voted in favour of a strike for it to go ahead and we just missed out.
“But we could be balloted again and we are behind the workers who plan to strike. I am hopeful we will be reballoted as our workers are angry. We are determined to get a fair wage offer.”
A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “We have received notification from Unite and the GMB that the threshold for strike action has been met by their members.
“This does not include staff in schools, but relates to those within our Streetscene and waste/recycling teams.
“Further discussions are taking place between COSLA and the Scottish Government and we will monitor these closely and hope that a resolution can be found."
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