TALKS aimed at resolving a row with binmen in Cleveland broke down this week and workers are being balloted over industrial action.

The outcome of the vote is likely to be made known early next week, but Redcar and Cleveland council is already looking at contingency plans to head off any action.

Council leader, Coun David Walsh, issued a statement today jointly endorsed by the chief executive, Mr Colin Moore.

It says: "The council has a duty to be fair to its workforce. It has a higher duty of service to the public. We will not shrink from our responsibilities and ask people to bear with us in a difficult time of much-needed change."

The council feels the binmen have misled the public and has placed advertisements in local newspapers under the heading "Possible cleansing strike", setting out the proposals which have been under negotiation with trade unions since 1998.

These are aimed at introducing a new flexible approach to street sweeping and refuse collection. Binmen object to the prospect of working up to 9pm and have threatened to strike to prevent their working day being extended so late.

A spokesman for the TGWU, one of two unions involved, said the men did not see the need to vary contracts. "Feelings are running high," he said.

Coun Walsh has urged workers to accept the proposals as a sensible way forward.

He said the proposed changes to working arrangements were a way of safeguarding jobs and the current working week while enabling street cleaning services to be available during evenings.

"I must set the record straight after some of the claims being made over our proposals," he said. "The changes in working arrangements for cleansing staff have been under negotiation for two years and are aimed at reflecting the public's wishes to see key areas swept clean during evenings and to improve the bin collection service.

"No-one's job is under threat, and the new contract includes the same 37-hour week as at present. The only significant difference is we want to have the flexibility to provide an evening service which means individual workers will be asked, on a limited number of occasions, to work up to 9pm."

Coun Walsh did not think this was unreasonable and hoped staff would back the council's efforts to provide a better service.

He said when this was considered through negotiating channels at regional level, trade unions and council representatives both agreed to the scheme.

"That makes it all the more regrettable that, as yet, we have not been able to gain agreement at local level," he said.

Coun Walsh said the authority was considering contingency plans in the event of industrial action. "But I hope that, even at this late stage, we can find a sensible solution," he said