Union leaders and waste collection bosses are to hold crunch talks next week in the hope of settling an ongoing dispute over pay. 

Bin workers called off a three-day strike planned for this week ahead of a meeting between Unite union officials and Veolia Environmental Services, which provides refuse services for Croydon Council. 

They had been due to stage walk-outs yesterday, today and tomorrow in protest at the offer of a "pathetic" pay rise. 

Veolia had offered a two per cent wage increase but the union a 3.1 per cent rise in line with inflation.

Unite and Veolia will meet on Tuesday July 9 in a bid to resolve the dispute, with the union threatening to reschedule industrial action if an agreement cannot be reached.

It said the strikes had been postponed for 21 days, rather than cancelled.

Onay Kasab, Unite's regional officer for Croydon, said:  "We are entering the talks on Tuesday in the genuine hope that Veolia share our desire to resolve the dispute, rather than this being a delaying of the inevitable.

"All we are after is fair pay for our members, no more and no less.

"The employers do need to be aware that the suspension of strike action has a time limit.

"This has gone on long enough - the date for implementation of a new pay award is well passed."

Veolia welcomed the postponement of the strikes and said it hoped to resolve the dispute next week.