Refuse collectors strike in West Wiltshire

Refuse collection crews in West Wiltshire are taking part in strike action today (July 8) in a dispute over pay, trade union GMB has announced.

The one-day strike will also be followed by a ban on overtime work from July 9-14, GMB said, after talks with West Wiltshire waste contractor FCC Environment broke down in June.

FCC Environment holds a contract worth around 2.2 million per year to operate the waste collection services in West Wiltshire, which covers the towns of Bradford on Avon, Melksham, Trowbridge, Warminster and Westbury and the surrounding rural areas. Recycling services in Wiltshire are operated separately by Hills Group.

GMB members voted in favour of the industrial action after a meeting with FCC Environment management on June 20. At the meeting, the union claims it was told by management that there would be no negotiations and no pay rise.

Around 50 GMB members were balloted, including all FCC Environment refuse drivers and loaders in West Wiltshire. Carole Vallelly, GMB regional officer, said she expected most of these to be out on strike after FCC Environment management showed a lack of respect for its employees during the meeting.

She said: I asked why there would not even be a pay rise that kept up with inflation, when 8 million had been paid out to the shareholders. I was told that they wouldn’t have a company without the shareholders. I suggested they wouldn’t have a company without our members emptying the bins.

FCC said that people should be grateful to have jobs. The lack of respect they have for their employees is breath taking. GMB members are not happy and the industrial action will be solid.

Discussions

However, FCC Environment said it is open to meeting for discussions with the union in order to avoid industrial action.

An FCC Environment spokesman said: It is disappointing that the union ballot resulted in the decision to take strike action. We would be happy to meet with the union to discuss the situation, agree a way forward and avoid strike action.

The spokesman added: We must not forget that we are here to deliver a service to the people of Wiltshire and that remains our primary focus. Should the strike go ahead, we will do everything we can to maintain services for our customers.

A Wiltshire council spokeswoman said it was aware of the planned industrial action and would be kept informed of any developments by FCC Environment.

The spokeswoman said: Any residents due a collection of refuse, plastic bottles and cardboard or garden waste on this day should continue to put their bins out as normal. Black box collections will not be affected. Household Recycling Centres in Melksham, Trowbridge and Warminster will be open as usual. The sites are able to receive general household waste and a wide variety of materials for recycling.

Bromley, Croydon and Camden

On June 25, Refuse collection crews in Bromley and Croydon also announced their intention to strike after rejecting a paltry 2% pay rise offer from employer Veolia (see letsrecycle.com story). However, this action has been suspended pending the outcome of talks to be held on Tuesday (July 9) through the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS).

Regional officer at trade union Unite, Onay Kasab, told letsrecycle.com: We agreed to hold talks through conciliation service ACAS on the basis that it would take place quickly next Tuesday. We have made it quite clear as a union that we are not going to allow the ACAS talks to drag on.

Mr Kasab said he had also demanded that refuse worker members in Camden also be involved in the ACAS talks with Veolia on Tuesday. He said an indicative ballot of members in Camden had showed a large majority were in favour of a strike over pay, but that Unite has to give Veolia seven days notice of any planned industrial action.

He added: Our message to Veolia is that we are there all day and that is more than enough time to resolve it, but if by the evening we have not made enough progress then we will look at strike action again.