AN indefinite strike by Herefordshire Council's refuse contractor has been averted.

This follows last-minute negotiations between the public service union Unison and authority.

A deal to prevent a spring of discontent was struck on Tuesday evening, with few householders and traders realising that the potentially highly disruptive strike had even been on the cards.

Herefordshire's 30 bin men held an official ballot last week and the near unanimous decision was for an indefinite strike over pay starting on Monday (March 24).

At Tuesday's 11th-hour meeting, council contractor FOCSA Services and the union agreed to a three per cent pay rise, backdated to April 2002, and a further one per cent increase, backdated to last October.

FOCSA manager Paul Morris: "We're looking at normal working now."

Unison branch organiser Janet Atkinson said: "Everyone is happy. A strike would have been very disruptive and it was unfortunate that our men had to consider going that way."

The settlement puts FOSCA's kerbside collection plans back on line, with Ledbury set to benefit from the countywide recycling initiative as early as June 2. But the service, whereby different materials are put in different coloured bags for recycling, is unlikely to be extended to the outlying rural areas for at least several years, according to FOCSA.

Meanwhile, the Hereford and Worcester branch of Friends of Earth believes that waste management proposals from both Herefordshire Council and Worcestershire County Council still rely too much incineration.

The group is demanding "full kerbside collection from all households across the two counties, for both recyclable and compostable materials".

Friends of the Earth spokeswoman Sarah Blenkinsop said: "This would dramatically increase recycling and composting rates, well above any minimum statutory requirements."