And, 180 workers employed by Veolia at the 22 household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) across Merseyside have suspended their own industrial action to vote on an “improved” pay offer.
The Biffa workers, who first took to the picket line in a dispute over pay at the beginning of December, were set to go on strike from 28-31 December, as well as 3-7 and 16-21 January (see letsrecycle.com story).
The union Unite told letsrecycle.com they had agreed a 15% pay rise backdated to April 2022, which is what the workers had been seeking, and that all further strikes were cancelled.
Class 2 HGV drivers will also see their hourly rates increase by £1.49 in addition to the percentage pay increase, the union added. It then outlined that wages are set to rise further from April this year, increasing by between 7-9%, “depending on the rate of inflation.”
Unite’s general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “This is another win for Unite members; this pay increase was won by workers organising in a trade union and standing together for a better deal.”
Missed collections
A spokesperson for Biffa told letsrecycle.com: “We are pleased to have reached an agreed pay deal. Services will now resume and any missed collections will be picked up as soon as possible.”
We are pleased to have reached an agreed pay deal– Biffa spokesperson
Household bin collections resumed as normal yesterday (2 January), Wirral metropolitan borough council said.
The local authority said residents should put their bin out on their normal scheduled day so they could be emptied by collection crews “as soon as possible”. The council added that there would be additional collections to allow some residents to catch up on missed collections from the holiday period.
During the strike, Wirral metropolitan borough council faced criticism on social media from residents who complained about missed collections. The local authority said it had “limited options to reduce the impact on services” as it does not directly employ the striking workers.
The council explained this was part of the reason why residents were “not eligible” for reduction in council tax following the strikes, as the issue was “outside its control”.
Merseyside
Elsewhere, the industrial action planned by HWRC staff employed by Veolia across Merseyside has been postponed to allow the workers to be balloted on a revised offer, Unite says. The HWRCs are run by the Merseyside Waste and Recycling Authority (MRWA).
Strike action involving more than 180 Veolia workers was set to last from today to 7 January, according to Unite. If the offer is rejected, further strike action could take place from 15-21 January.
Like the Biffa crew members in the Wirral, the Veolia workers planned to strike over Christmas, considered the busiest period for the waste management sector. However, the initial action, set to take place from 28-31 December, was suspended (see letsrecycle.com story).
A spokesperson for Veolia told letsrecycle.com: “Following discussions, we made a further pay and conditions offer to Unite the Union which reflected the hard work of our teams in Merseyside and Halton.
“The industrial action that was due to take place from 28-31 December 2022 and 2-7 January 2023 has been suspended whilst the offer is reviewed. Household waste recycling centres across the Liverpool City Region have been open as usual over the holiday period.”
And, a spokesperson for the MRWA said: “The proposed action over the Christmas period was suspended by the union and as such all of Merseyside’s HWRCs were operational as normal. The industrial action is a matter between Veolia and Unite and we hope for a timely resolution.”
Subscribe for free