HAMPSHIRE County Council managers are holding last-ditch talks with union leaders after staff voted to reject a new pay and conditions deal.

Julie Murdoch, branch secretary for Hampshire Unison, said: "We hope to come up with a new package and will go out to ballot again if there are enough changes to make it worthwhile."

Three unions balloted council members over proposals designed in part to address the equal pay issue.

In the Unison ballot, the main union at the council, 79 per cent of workers voted to refuse the package. Meanwhile 88 per cent were opposed at T&G Unite and 80 per cent at GMB.

The decision to reject follows two years of nearly weekly meetings between the unions, which represent about 25 per cent of workers, and council officials.

Union officials have slammed council chief executive, Peter Robertson, for only attending one negotiating meeting about two years ago.

Mrs Murdoch said: "It is most disappointing. We understand he has teams of people working for him, but for something that is so important we think he should hear the trade union side directly."

She said it was "odd and not ideal" that Pauline Lucas, former head of human resources and the council's chief negotiator, resigned "for personal reasons" at the same time as letters were sent to 27,000 employees informing them of their new pay grading.

The council estimates about 20 per cent of mainly female employees will have their salaries increased and 65 per cent keep the same pay.

But unions are opposed to the introduction of performance-related pay for council workers, and want 16 grades on the new pay scale instead of 11.

Some staff claim they will lose out on the new grades and about 15 per cent, around 5,000 workers, will see their salaries drop after pay protection ends in two years.

Union-management negotiations, which began last Friday, were due to end yesterday (Wednesday).

In a statement, the council said pay negotiations were a matter for the "skilled specialists" in human resources, and Mr Robertson received "regular, detailed feedback from the negotiating team".

Leader of Hampshire County Council, Cllr Ken Thornber, said: "Following the outcome of the vote by union members we are currently holding intensive consultations with the unions to try to reach collective agreement on the outstanding issues.

"It is hoped that we can have a last concerted effort from both sides to reach agreement, because the county council is legally obliged to implement the outcome of the pay and grading review to be compliant with the National Single Status Agreement.

l UNION officials have lodged the first equal pay claims for female staff at Hampshire County Council.

Some 160 home carers could receive an average £30,000 each if Unison wins the equal pay tribunal in Southampton.

The public sector union has to prove male workers in comparable jobs were paid more, for example caretakers and drivers.

Staff, including residential care workers and library assistants, are involved in four further class actions to be launched by Unison.

Council bosses have earmarked £17m in this year's budget to meet equal pay claims which can be backdated six years.