Bin collectors to strike over working conditions

Refuse workers in east London are due to strike for a week in July, Unite union has announced.

Union members working in Redbridge will stop collecting rubbish from 1 July to 7 July in a row over working conditions.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham accused Redbridge Council of "treating some of their most vital workers appallingly".

A spokesperson for the council said an independent company, Redbridge Civic Services (RCS), managed the waste contract and RCS was "in the early stages of negotiations" with Unite.

The union said its members had "far worse conditions than their council employed colleagues".

It said these included starting and finishing late due to vehicles breaking down and not being repaired, pressure to work overtime every weekend, and longer working hours.

“Redbridge council is guilty of trying to operate a vital frontline service on the cheap and it must immediately get its house in order," Ms Graham said.

"Our members have the union’s total support.”

The union said members' workload had resulted in more staff sickness and a knock-on effect on the remaining fit staff.

Regional officer Nick West said: “Our members collect the borough's waste in all weathers. They are regularly understaffed and under-resourced making their work far more difficult than it needs to be.

"They aren’t going to stand for this any longer. If the strike is not quickly resolved it is set to further escalate."

A Redbridge Council spokesperson said: “The council is confident that the extensive package of support offered by RCS, which follows generous salary increases in 2022 and 2023, provides fair remuneration and represents a significant improvement in employee conditions.

"The council is helping to facilitate negotiations in the hope that both parties can reach an agreement to prevent strike action and ensure the local people we all serve are not impacted adversely."

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