BIN collections in Huddersfield could be disrupted today as hundreds of Kirklees Council workers begin a three-day strike.

Some 435 employees are taking industrial action this week over changes which could see some of them losing up to £60 a week in pay.

The Examiner understands that the admin staff will picket the council’s refuse collection centre at Vine Street in Hillhouse this morning.

The move will disrupt bin collections across Huddersfield if non-striking staff refuse to cross the picket line.

Workers may also target the council’s highways depot at Flint Street in Fartown today.

The admin staff and receptionists held a one-day strike last week in protest at the council’s plan to reduce the size of the Business Support Service.

Kirklees Unison branch secretary Paul Holmes said last night: “The council wants to reduce the workforce from 750 to 500. They’ve already got down to 550 with early retirements.

“Now they want to get to 500. This would mean around 35 people being downgraded and would face pay cuts of between £30 and £60 a week.

“Since 2009 the council has offered to protect the pay of people who are downgraded for a year. Now they are saying it will go altogether and people will be downgraded in the next four to eight weeks.”

Mr Holmes added: “The attitude of Kirklees is ‘if you don’t like it, leave’.

“Our members are angrier than they were last week.”

Mr Holmes asked workers and members of the public not to cross Unison picket lines during the three-day strike which will continue tomorrow and Thursday.

“I would ask people to respect our picket lines,” he said.

Kirklees said last month that the Business Support Review would save the council £4m a year.

The council aims to cut £30m from its back office function in an attempt to protect frontline services from the public spending squeeze.