The 180 workers will begin strike action across 22 sites on 28 December, with the “initial” strike to end on 31 December.
There will then be further strikes from 2-7 January and 15-21 January.
Pay
Unite said it was seeking an increase of 50p per hour for the majority of the staff, increasing pay to £10 an hour, with class two HGV drivers being paid £12 an hour and class one drivers receiving £14.47 an hour. Unite also said it wants the “differentials to be maintained when the national minimum wage increases in April 2023”.
Its statement added that Veolia “has only been prepared to offer a 20 pence an hour pay increase”.
A spokesperson for Veolia said: “We recognise the hard work of our teams in Merseyside and Halton in delivering essential public services for the community and this is reflected in our improved package for 2022/2023, covering both pay and conditions.
“We remain committed to engage in constructive discussions with Unite the Union and its members to find a resolution for our staff and avoid disruption to services.”
Unite added that the majority of the workers are paid “just £9.50 an hour, including those who have a HGV class two driving licence, with class one HGV drivers receiving just £11.87 an hour”.
The spirit of Scrooge is alive and kicking this Christmas
- Sharon Graham, Unite
‘Spirit of scrooge’
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The spirit of Scrooge is alive and kicking this Christmas.
“Veolia is an incredibly wealthy company. Its workers are already poorly paid but somehow it thinks it is acceptable to offer them just a few pence extra, during the worst cost of living crisis in a generation.
“Unite is entirely committed to defending and enhancing the jobs, pay and conditions of its members and the workers at Veolia will receive the union’s complete support.”
Disruption
Unite regional officer John McColl added: “The strike action will inevitably cause severe disruption at the busiest time of the year as residents seek to get rid of household waste.
“This dispute is completely of Veolia’s own making. They can fully make a fair pay offer but have chosen not to.
“Veolia needs to return to the negotiating table and make a pay offer which meets our members’ expectations.”
If a pay offer is not accepted, the strike issues will cause severe issues across the waste network in the area.
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