The last three months of walk-outs by bin men, social workers and social care staff over pay cuts of up to 5% have yet to result in a deal which will keep both staff and council managers happy.

The council has got to save £75m over the next four years. The pay cuts contribute towards this and will save 400 jobs, according to council leader Royston Smith.

However, it has been three months since the dispute started and I fear that momentum may be falling away from those wanting to protect their current pay rate.

The reality is that Smith's actions appear to have a reasonable degree of public support. A quick look at the comments this story receives on the local newspaper's website show much distain for those on strike. And why wouldn't the public support him? They get to keep much of their council services, without having to shoulder the big rise in tax or charges, which would surely be necessary to cover the budget gap if pay was not cut.

So the public keep their services, taxes stay low and 400 people, who would otherwise be out of job, get to remain in employment. It seems like an ideal scenario.

Don't get me wrong, if I was facing a pay cut of around 4% while inflation ran at 5% I'd probably be thinking about striking too, but in the political arena Smith's logic seems pretty rock solid.

With that in mind it's difficult to see much prospect for a full scale reversal of the pay-cuts.

However, why aren't the unions trying to leverage their members' loyalty to the council? They could, I assume, go on striking for some time yet as long as negotiations are making little headway, something which isn't in the interests of the council, public or staff.

But if they agreed to take the hit their loyalty may have a financial value to the council.

What I haven't heard suggested is a clause in an agreement, which accepts the pay cuts, which would commit the council to restore pay levels as a matter of first priority when budgets increase, which surely must happen at some point in the future (although the prospect of a double-dip recession would seem to push this further down the calendar). I would also argue those staff who stuck with the council through that period should get an increase in their pay at the same time, to at least make up for inflation.

This sort of loyalty bonus, or share holding type scheme, which sees staff rewarded in good times for taking a pay cut in the bad times would be fairer and more equitable than a straight cut. I suspect many people's biggest fear is that any wage cut will never be reversed.

It would also send the message that council management really do value their staff. That is powerful message to send and one which might just diffuse the dispute.

Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Read the complete post at http://www.communitycare.co.uk/blogs/social-work-blog/2011/10/a-solution-to-the-southampton.html