STRIKE action by some of the region's refuse collectors moved a step closer this week.

Collectors in Redcar and Cleveland have been served with dismissal notices by the borough council, which wants to re-employ them under new contracts that could see them working during the evenings.

Earlier in the week, union officials announced nearly 100 per cent support for the proposal of strike action and on Wednesday union members met to discuss their next course of action.

It is understood that the unions planned to tell the council yesterday that a series of one day strikes will begin on Monday, November 20, and that the refuse collectors will also enforce an overtime ban.

So far more than 4,000 residents in the borough have signed a petition supporting the refuse collectors.

John McDade, from Unison, told the meeting: "We don't want to inconvenience the public too much. The public is fully behind us, let's keep it that way."

After the meeting, Tim Bush, regional industrial organiser for the TGWU, said: "The level of the action was above what we expected and it shows the mood the workers are in."

Coun David Walsh, leader of Redcar and Cleveland Council, said the authority had made a number of concessions over the last few months.

But he added: "We have to have the principle of flexible working to meet public expectations. We will study the arrangements for dealing with these stoppages if they occur and obviously we would rather they didn't occur.

"The doors are still open to discuss this.