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SCORES of water company workers could stage a strike over a controversial pay deal.

United Utilities, which employs 9,000 people including hundreds in Merseyside and Cheshire, held crunch talks with union chiefs who threatened to ballot members for industrial action.

The dispute comes after the company imposed unpopular changes, which saw wages improve for many but put workers at risk of future pay cuts, without following dispute procedures with unions.

Workers at the Warrington-based company are represented by a range of unions, including GMB, Unite, Prospect and Unison.

Members of Unison voted to accept the pay deal, but GMB and Unite said the next stage in their dispute process would be to ballot for strike action.

Members of Prospect are set to take part in a consultation ballot before voting on a walk-out.

A spokesman for United Utilities said: “Talks are ongoing and are proceeding well.”