Veolia drivers threaten strikes in Bromley

The London borough of Bromley is braced for strikes among its waste collection vehicle drivers, after their trade union received permission to begin balloting its members over industrial action.

According to the trade union Unite which represents the Veolia ES employed drivers, four members of staff were sacked earlier this month after allegedly taking a cash tip from a resident, while a further member of staff was sacked following an alleged verbal dispute with a motorist.

A spokesman for Veolia ES, said: We can confirm that four members of staff have been dismissed following charges of gross misconduct and it is expected that they will follow the agreed process of appealing the decision in due course. We are unable to comment further until the appeal process has taken place.

Staff at Veolias Waldo Street depot staged an unofficial walkout two weeks ago in protest against the sackings, but returned to work within an hour and a half. The staff are understood to be keen to initiate an official strike, and Unite has begun proceedings to launch industrial action.

The sacked members of staff are also understood to be launching appeals into the sackings.

Unite spokesman Onay Kasab, said: We have now got official authorisation from the Union for the ballot. We hope to issue the notice to the employer within the next couple of weeks at the latest and once that happens we will have a couple of weeks for the ballot papers to come back from the members.

Householder

The allegation against four of the staff members is that they had taken a tip from a householder. We can argue all day about whether that is a sackable offence, but there is no evidence for the charge and even the householder is denying it.

According to Mr Kasab, the sacked members of staff were described by their supervisors as hardworking and experienced crew members, who have previously had no disciplinary issues.

He added: The ball is in Veolias court, it can end this dispute and avoid prolonged disruption to Bromleys rubbish collections, but it needs to get around the table and talk to Unite.

If the members vote in favour of strike action, it is thought that strikes could begin within three to four weeks, with workers claiming they are prepared to carry out a prolonged and sustained strike.