Over half the workforce employed by FCC Environment – working on behalf of Waltham Forest Council – voted in a ballot on whether to accept the deal.
According the GMB Union, whose members voted to reject the initial deal, strike action is being considered.
A 3.2% deal is now on the table, an FCC Environment spokesperson said: “FCC Environment confirmed that it has made a fair offer to its employees in the London Borough of Waltham Forest commensurate with settlements made and agreed in many other parts of the country.
“FCC further confirmed that its door was always open to further direct discussions with the Union but that the company will not negotiate through the media.”
In 2019, Urbaser UK took over waste collections in Waltham Forest, with the contract set to be up for renewal in 2027. Urbaser was purchased by FCC Servicios Medio Ambiente, affiliate of FCC Environment, last year.
Rejected pay deal excluded London Living Wage workers
The Union suggested that the offer was rejected because it did not apply to those workers recently placed on the London Living Wage.
Explaining this reasoning, Mary Goodson, GMB Regional Organiser, said: “The London Living Wage is a floor, not a ceiling.
“It is the bare minimum FCC owe these workers, and it should not exclude them from receiving a much needed and deserved pay uplift.”
FCC has said that it disagrees with these claims and believes it has made a fair offer.
Concerns were also raised over the quality of staff facilities at the waste depot and insufficient supplies of water.
Adam Waclawczyk, GMB member and refuse worker, added: “We work hard to keep the borough clean – we deserve to be paid fairly and treated with respect.”
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