COUNCIL chiefs are urging binmen to accept the proposed changes to their working week.

Council deputy leader Clr Keith Bland has given assurances to the Warrington Guardian in an interview this week that workers won't be any worse off by moving to a new four-day working week and says there is no reason for them not to sign up.

The dispute between refuse collectors and council officials has been ongoing for more than a year and a half. The environmental services department trying to bring in a modernisation agenda which would transform hours, working practices and the pay structure.

As part of the proposals, none of the 175 workers would work on Mondays but would instead work longer hours across the week to make up the time.

But union officials say there is no need for change.

Clr Bland said: "We are trying to give a better service with the same workforce we have already got and no one is losing any money by going on to this.

"In fact, the street cleaners will probably get more money.

"We have been landed with this, but it is part of what we want to do and we are proposing to move this on."

The council says that around one third of the workforce hascurrently signed up to the change.

If that figure does not rise to a majority by next week, a 90-day notice of re-engagement will start which means workers will be forced to change to the new terms and conditions of employment.

Clr Bland added: "We had more than 400 applications for people wanting to become an operative under the new terms and conditions so they can't be that bad!"

hcartwright@guardiangrp.co.uk