Two-week bin strike to begin amid ongoing dispute

Adam Lanigan - BBC News, North East and Cumbria
·3 min read
Unemptied rubbish bins on a street
Several rounds of industrial action have taken place since November [Press Association]

A fortnight of further disruption to bin collections in South Tyneside is set to begin as part of an ongoing dispute.

Refuse workers will start a two-week walkout from Wednesday, which is set to last until 14 May.

Talks between the council and the GMB and Unite unions to end the strike broke down earlier in April.

The unions said they were unhappy there has been no resolution to allegations of bullying, while the council said the strike was continuing "despite all efforts being made" to end it.

Several rounds of industrial action have taken place since November, with the most recent being a four-day walkout in March.

With no end to the dispute, the GMB re-balloted its members and 96% voted to continue strike action over the next six months.

GMB official Mark Wilson said he was disappointed his members were having to take action, and promised to explore ways to end the dispute.

"Our members have to be certain that they will not be subject to any more bullying at work, and we will continue to negotiate with management until we can get to that position," he added.

'Lack of explanation'

Labour-led South Tyneside Council has admitted to "acute frustration" over the unions' decision to continue industrial action for the next six months.

"There has been a lack of explanation or meaningful communication from GMB as to their reasons why the situation has changed since the turn of the month," it said in a statement.

The council also stated it believed that positive talks were held between the parties and a detailed action plan had been agreed, along with explicit agreement not to engage in further strike action.

However, that stance was categorically rejected by the unions.

"There was absolutely no agreement with the unions from our meeting on 4 April to halt any further industrial action," said Mr Wilson.

"This position was clearly communicated to the chief executive on 5 April, so we fundamentally disagree with the council's statement on this matter."

Temporary skips

South Tyneside Council's chief executive, Jonathan Tew, said 30 meetings have been held with crew members and union officials to try to find a solution without success.

"I'm sorry that our residents and businesses have had to endure this ongoing action despite all efforts being made by the council to bring it to an end," he said.

South Shields' Labour MP Emma Lewell-Buck showed her "solidarity" with striking workers, as she posted on X, formerly Twitter.

"We all want to see an end to these strikes but workers only strike when there is no other option," she said.

That sentiment was backed up by fellow Labour MP for Jarrow, Kate Osborne, who said the strike was having "a significant impact" on vulnerable residents and those without a car.

In a statement, she added: "I do however believe the workers are now being let down by the council and their own unions' handling of the dispute and their issues."

In an effort to minimise disruption, the council is setting up nine temporary skips across the borough for people to get rid of household and recyclable waste.

The skips are in Jarrow, Hebburn, South Shields, Boldon Colliery and Whitburn, and will be in use from 09:00 to 15:00 BST every day until Sunday 5 May.

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