Copeland Refuse strike likely from 27 May

The Unite union's T&G section has notified Copeland Council that their members working in the council's refuse department have voted for indefinite strike action from 27th May. The dispute is about the duration of the working day.

It is not yet certain what services will remain available. The council says that it intends to give priority to black sacks, black bins, trade waste and clinical waste collections. Garden waste and bulky collections are likely to be suspended for the duration of the dispute. Kerbside recyclinlg services are also likely to be affected but recycling sites will not.

The council says that it has offered a deal which would include a reduced working week, and an increase in both the hourly rate of pay and the overtime rate, with a flexible working day of between 6.5 hours and 9 hours. The union wants a fixed standard day of 7.5 hours.

Attempts are being made to seek mediation to avoid a strike but at the moment it does not appear likely that these will be successful.

Comments

Anonymous said…
we work out in rain, hail, snow and sunshine with no immediate toilet facilities, ask your self where do you go for the toilet.
all we want is a start time and finish time with the added option to work overtime, and not to be signed to a contract which states that you must work overtime to what ever time the management states, but the management can go home when it's their time to clock off.
why don't you come and see us at the Moresby park depot and listen to what we have to say.
10:11 pm
Anonymous said…
hi

just wanting to know who is picking up our bins. is it agency workers if so who is footing the bill for that. agency workers are paid from £15 to £20 per hour how can copeland council pay that out when they are always saying there is not enough money. is it because the queen coming.
come council answer us poll tax paying people of copeland after all you are always putting the price up on it.
where is jamie reed our local mp why has he not been to see the guys.
8:57 am
Trashman said…
This dispute centres around compulsory overtime that CBC are trying to implement alongside the 37 hour week, we are all willing to accept the 37 hour deal on offer. It is time the powers that be at CBC dragged themselves into the 21st century. The service can and has be operated with voluntary overtime for a very long time. It is a very tough job and we all need time off at weekends if we need to. Can you imagine a 24 ton truck coming towards you and your family with the driver struggling to keep awake due to tiredness, an accident waiting to happen. As a supporter of you and your party Mr Whiteside please speak to someone at CBC to make them see sense, many thanks.....
10:39 pm
Anonymous said…
I am sick and tired of everyone complaining about WHEN their bins are going to be emptied. These men are all entitled to stand up for their rights to be paid accordingly for the hours they work. They are not asking for anything extraordinary just what they are OWED. How can anyone say that overtime is compulsory, if you want to do overtime,you do it,but you should NOT be told that you HAVE to do it as it is compulsory. I for one think that the binmen are justified in their actions, and to all the moaners who are only bothered about when there bin will next be emptied, THINK about these men, who are essentially being told that they have NO rights concerning overtime.
8:14 am
Anonymous said…
You either support the striking binmen or you don't. But can anyone of the many households in copeland actually stand up and say that they know why they are striking. Apart from the spouses and families of these men, I very much doubt if many people actually know WHY. So I get really fed up when people come up to me and say when are the binmen going to pick my bins up? My husband is one of these men, and he works very long hours,for wages that are below average for the area. All of these men seem to be getting a hard time, one way or another, firstly the long working hours, then the lack of support given by the copeland community, who only seem to be interested in when their BIN is going to be emptied. My bin has not been emptied for 3 weeks, but I wouldn't dream of going round to a binmans home and questioning him about when my rubbish will be collected and complain to him about how the strike is affecting them. The strike is affecting the families of these binmen much harder than it is affecting the public.
8:44 am
Chris Whiteside said…
Thanks for all these comments. Being a refuse worker is not an easy job and it is important that the valid points here are taken on board.

I have heard there is a strong possibility of an honorable settlement soon which gives both sides some of what they want and I hope this is true
10:50 pm
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