The bin strikes which left rubbish piled up across Brighton and Hove could return next week.

Refuse workers will vote today on whether to continue their industrial action over proposed pay cuts.

If they decide to walk out again it will leave the city facing the prospect of Christmas with thousands of bin bags stacked in the streets.

The bin crews agreed to suspend their strike three weeks ago after six days of action when Brighton and Hove City Council offered a compromise deal.

Almost all are now to keep their wage or have a slight pay increase.

But about a dozen of the 300 workers from the council’s CityClean waste service still face cuts of up to £4,000 a year.

If the majority of the staff refuse to accept the deal in support of their colleagues, it will signal a return to the strikes.

Business leaders spoke of their concern at the possibility.

Brighton city centre manager Soozie Campbell said: “Considering the traders have just spent thousands of pounds on festive lights to make the city centre more attractive for shoppers and residents, it would be a real shame if we end up with bin bags piled up.”

Tony Mernagh, chief executive of the Brighton and Hove Economic Forum, has already warned a continuation of the strike will drive Christmas shoppers away from the city.

Another eight days of industrial action had been due before the suspension.

The GMB trade union, which represents refuse collectors, dustcart drivers and street sweepers, said the result of today’s ballot would come within a week and then seven days’ notice would have to be served if the workers wanted to return to the strike.

GMB branch secretary Mark Turner was hopeful the action could be ended and was continuing to negotiate with the council over the remaining workers.

He said: “I can’t predict what will happen.

More than 98% of the workforce have now got an offer which would not see a reduction in their salary but that might not be enough.

“In Leeds they had 11 weeks of strikes in a similar dispute.

They were offered a deal after five weeks which benefited 80% of the workforce and they turned it down.”

Prior to the strike, the CityClean workers faced cuts averaging £4,000 a year, with some facing an £8,000 reduction from salaries of £22,000.

They were proposed by the council to meet new laws requiring workers in different departments to be paid equally.

It is understood the union has suggested training the remaining dozen facing cuts as drivers, meaning they could be moved into a different pay grade.

Aside from CityClean there are another 400 council employees in various departments facing cuts.

Negotiations are continuing with the GMB and Unison unions on behalf of those workers.

Last week Unison said it was close to reaching agreement on most of its members to safeguard their salaries.

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokesman said it was confident of reaching a solution.