Residents can expect to see the piles of rubbish start to be cleared away after 600 union members voted overwhelmingly – 79 per cent – to accept the terms of an agreement from Leeds City Council.

The offer means 20 staff will get a pay cut but most will get small increases, provided they meet productivity targets.

Coun Richard Brett, leader of Leeds City Council, said: "We're very pleased that the workers have voted in favour of this
deal but I'm disappointed it's taken 11 weeks to reach agreement.

"What we have got is agreement on significant increases in productivity, which is critical."

He said collections should be back to normal within 10 days.

He added: "There are still some areas that are not perfect and we're aware green bins and brown bins have not been collected."

Changes agreed include targets of 220 bins emptied every hour, a reduction in the number of collection rounds from 37 to 29 and a commitment to reduce the average number of sick days from 29 a year.

Coun James Monaghan, executive board member for Environmental Services, warned: "If they don't follow through with the changes they have agreed to then we will look to privatisation."

Changes to be completed by June 2010 will bring in a new seven-day street cleansing service in Leeds suburbs, seven-day shift patterns and all households getting kerbside recycling collections.

Neil Derrick, GMB Regional Organiser, said: "Twelve weeks ago GMB workers faced savage pay cuts and privatisation. Today they have agreed to return to work on Wednesday with both threats removed."