A union representing Somerset bin men and women has warned of a 'stinking summer for Somerset' ahead of strike action set to begin this week.

The warning comes amid a pay dispute between the Unite trade union and Somerset council's collections contractor, Suez.

Unite have set out plans for a series of strikes across Somerset, to take place from Wednesday to Friday each week, starting on July 12 and continuing to August 4.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Our members play a crucial frontline role keeping Somerset clean and tidy. They are simply not prepared to accept low pay any longer. The Suez offer in reality is a real terms pay cut. Suez is a wealthy company that can fully afford to make a fair pay offer but it has chosen not to do so.

“Unite is solely focussed on the jobs, pay and conditions of its members and the workers at Suez will receive the union’s unbending support.”

Workers from the union voted to reject an initial pay offer 5.8 per cent, and then a revised offer of 8 per cent. Unite said that the offers constituted a "real terms pay cut" as inflation stands at 11.3 per cent.

Somerset Council warned residents bin collections would be missed if the industrial action went ahead.

Mickey Green, Somerset Council’s Executive Director for Climate and Place, said: “If these strikes go ahead, major disruption and inconvenience is unavoidable. 

“We’ll do what we can to manage it, but if the staff aren’t available you simply can’t get the waste off the ground.

“This could be a very difficult period and would ask for the public’s patience. We are far from the only area experiencing this kind of issue, but that won’t make a Somerset strike any less difficult for its residents.”

Despite hopes that strikes will be called off at the eleventh hour, the council and Suez say they are making preparations to 'limit the damage' - but said the county faces 'major disruption' if the strikes go ahead.

In a statement a spokesperson for Somerset Council said: "The council and its collections contractor Suez UK will redeploy staff to try and limit the damage but expect many missed collections of recycling, refuse and garden waste will be unavoidable.

"Talks continue in the ongoing pay dispute between the union and Suez and industrial action could be called off as late as the afternoon of Tuesday 11 July.

"But the council is contingency planning on the basis that it goes ahead as planned."

For further information about managing missed bin collections, visit the Somerset Council website.