Bin collectors due to walk out in pay dispute

Refuse collectors and street cleaners are expected to take industrial action after voting to strike over pay.

About 100 Great Yarmouth Services employees, a council-owned company responsible for a wide range of duties for the Norfolk borough, could walk out within the next fortnight.

The council had offered a 3.3% pay offer, but the unions are demanding a 20% pay increase.

Unite regional officer Claire Lees said the dispute could mean residents, businesses and tourists will face a "stinky summer".

"The only way this dispute will end is to stop disrespecting our members, sit around the table and negotiate an acceptable offer," said Lees.

Unite pointed out the offer of a 3.3% increase was below the minimum wage increase of 4.1% which came into effect in April.

Lees said Great Yarmouth Services workers were among the lowest paid in the county compared with other councils like Norwich City Council and Broadland District Council.

The strike action would affect services in Great Yarmouth, Gorleston and the surrounding villages during the peak summer tourism season.

Work caried out by the company includes bin collections, street cleaning, grave digging, gardening, landscaping and tree surgeon duties.

Unite, Unison and GMB union members are all supporting the action.

A date for when the strike will commence has not been confirmed but it could start after 10 days' time, which will affect the 97,800 residents and thousands of tourists visiting the area.

A spokesperson for the council said meeting the 20% pay increase would add £1m to its annual bill delivering these services.

The council said it was awaiting "formal notification" from the unions regarding next steps.

"Until then, services continue to operate as normal, and we remain committed to engaging constructively with the unions to reach a resolution," a spokesperson said.

"As a responsible employer, we must carefully balance fair pay with protecting the services residents rely on and safeguarding local employment.

"Meeting the claim in full would require significant reductions in services and could result in around one fifth of the workforce — approximately 35 valued local jobs —being lost.

"We do not want to see that happen, which is why we remain committed to meaningful negotiations to find a fair and sustainable outcome that supports our employees while protecting jobs and services for the community."

It is not known how long the strikes will go on for. In Birmingham, bin workers walked out over a pay dispute for more than a year.

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