Eden bin strikes set to continue as the GMB union issues a
further notice of industrial action to be taken by some of its staff working on
our Urbaser contract in the Eden area.
The new notice is for a
continuous period commencing on 13 November. All previous notices have
been for a two-week period, but this notice has no defined end date.
Further negotiations in
the dispute between Urbaser and the GMB are due to take place on Tuesday in a
meeting with ACAS.
Refuse workers in Penrith first downed tools at the start of
October for what was at the time a two week strike in a dispute over pay.
Dozens of staff including drivers, loaders and cleaners at
Urbaser,who hold the contract for refuse collection in Eden and other services under
contracts agreed by the former Eden District Council, agreed in September to
take industrial action from October 2 to 13 calling for a pay rise to help ease
the cost-of-living crisis.
Michael Hall, GMB regional organiser, said at the start of the
strike action “All these workers are asking for is fair pay. They deserve a
decent wage for the vital work they do.”
Members of the GMB union in the former West Cumbria, Allerdale
area held similar strikes over pay that lasted five months.
Westmorland and Furness Council advice throughout the strike in
the Eden area has been to continue to put your blue bin bags out as normal for
collection on your scheduled collection day.
In the event that your bag is not collected by the end of the scheduled
collection day, The council’s advice is to leave it in its place.
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