Refuse collectors in a second area of Kent have voted to go on a two-week strike, demanding to be paid the same as their local equivalents.

Workers in Thanet will start industrial action on September 11, joining those in Canterbury, but are inviting negotiations from the council to prevent disruption to residents.

Frank Macklin, GMB regional organiser, said: “Our members employed by Thanet District Council (TDC) are just after the going market rate.

“These are hard workers doing a dangerous and dirty job, who just want to be paid what their local equivalents get elsewhere.”

The GMB union says if TDC agrees to the conditions, the strike is avoidable.

They add that there is “more than enough time to sit down and enter negotiations” before rubbish starts piling up.

Mr Macklin continued: “There is still over a week left before this strike begins, which is more than enough time to sit down and enter negotiations.

“Our door remains open to the council’s chief executive or whoever else, to get a deal reached and avoid loads of unnecessary inconvenience to the people of Thanet.”

The wage they are calling for is £15 an hour for drivers and £12 for loaders.

In May, Thanet workers voted for strike action, but it was called off “for now” while talks continued.

Nearby in Canterbury, action from bin workers has been extended until October 1.

Chief Executive of Thanet District Council, Colin Carmichael said: “We’ve been attempting to hold meaningful talks with the GMB Union since May, when members of the union stated their original intention to strike.

“The reality is that we have already increased pay for our cleansing services staff to reflect comparable jobs elsewhere, and there is a further generous pay offer on the table.

“Comparing the pay position for Thanet with other areas, where the waste service is run privately and not by the local authority, is not comparing like for like.

“It does not reflect the wider package of benefits our staff receive, such as generous pension contributions. Our current hourly rates of pay already exceed reported market rates across east Kent, when pension contributions are taken into account.

“The request from the GMB for Thanet in short is unrealistic and would come at the expense of other important priorities, particularly if we want to maintain the current level of service to our residents as well as protect jobs for our staff.

“If strike action goes ahead this will impact the waste collection and street cleaning services that Thanet residents ultimately pay for. As you would expect there are contingency plans in place to maintain as many council waste collections as possible in the event of a strike.

“We will be working hard to keep the disruption residents face to a minimum as far as we can.

“As I’ve said before, we absolutely recognise the need to support our staff, and competitive pay is important for recruitment and retention. But requests which go beyond the reality of what is possible, and action which impacts the delivery of providing our residents with essential services, feel irresponsible.

“It’s disappointing that we’ve yet to reach an agreed pay offer and that the threat of strikes remains. We welcome realistic discussions with the union in the hope that we can achieve an outcome that works for all parties.”