Strikes by more than 300 low paid staff at Harlow council will continue into next month because the council is ‘ripping workers off’, their union has announced.

The council said talks at Acas between Unite and the company employing the workers, responsible for housing stock and the cleaning and maintenance of council grounds and building, were ongoing.

It said the workers do a ‘fantastic job’ providing a range of important services and it is working to find a solution to the issues raised. But the union accused the council of refusing to negotiate and ‘ripping workers off by outsourcing jobs’.

It said most of the workers earn less than £12 per hour and are striking because their outsourced employment mean they are paid less than workers doing the same jobs at other local authorities.

HTS and Harlow Council issued a joint statement saying it was closely following the Acas talks and is in daily contact with HTS.

It apologised to residents for any disruption they suffer because of the strike.

It said: ‘The HTS workforce do a fantastic job and provide a range of important environmental and housing maintenance services for the town, and we are working to find a solution to the issues raised.’

Unite national lead officer Onay Kasab said: ‘Harlow council’s deliberate and needless curbing of HTS’ workers’ wages is the ugly face of outsourcing.

‘Its councillors know the council’s finances are healthy or they would not be spending more than £200,000 a year on allowances.

‘Unite will not let Harlow council hide behind HTS so it can underpay staff and leave them to struggle during a cost of living crisis.

‘It needs to take responsibility for the mess it has created.’