Redbridge bin collectors to strike again

Refuse workers in Redbridge, east London, are due to strike again in a row over working conditions, the Unite union has announced.

The union said its members would walk out between 22 August and 5 September after the council "failed to address" issues "despite pleas from workers".

It follows a previous strike by the workers over the same issues between 1 and 7 July.

Redbridge Council said it would "always encourage negotiations" to "prevent strike action".

Unite said its members were employed by Redbridge Civic Services Ltd (RCS), which it said was "a wholly-owned subsidiary of the council", yet they were "subject to far worse conditions than their council employed colleagues".

The union said they were affected by "a range of workplace issues" including "consistently starting and finishing late due to vehicles breaking down and not being repaired", as well as "enforcement of an extra hour of work daily despite contracts saying only in 'exceptional circumstances'".

There was also "pressure to work overtime every weekend" and the conditions had "resulted in more staff sickness, meaning a knock-on effect on the remaining fit staff", the union added.

Unite argued the council had been "pleading poverty" while it "substantially increased allowances" for some councillors.

Unite's general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Our members are furious that council leaders are lining their pockets while ignoring the working conditions of those vital workers collecting refuse day in and day out in all weathers.

"This tone deaf approach and failure to negotiate in any meaningful way has left our members little choice but to take further strike action later this month."

A Redbridge Council spokesperson said RCS was in the "advanced stages" of negotiations with Unite.

"The council is confident that RCS's latest and extensive package of support, which follows generous salary increases in 2022 and 2023, totalling a 16% increase, provides fair remuneration and significantly improves employee conditions," they said.

“The council will always encourage negotiations in the hope that both parties can reach an agreement to prevent strike action and ensure the local people we serve are not adversely impacted.”

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]