The organisation charged with keeping Liverpool’s streets clean has reported an increase in “aggressive behaviour” towards its staff.
Founded in March 2016, Liverpool Streetscene Services Ltd (LSSL) has been in charge of ensuring the city’s bins are collected, streets are clean and parks are maintained. In a statement on social media last weekend, the company - a wholly owned subsidiary of Liverpool Council - said it had experienced both verbal and physical attacks on its staff as they go about their work across the city.
Posting on Twitter, LSSL said: “Our staff provide critical, frontline street scene services to residents, customers and visitors to the city of Liverpool. Our staff deserve to work in a safe environment where they are treated with dignity and respect by members of the public while undertaking their duties.
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“We have unfortunately seen an increase in the number of reported incidents of both verbal and physically aggressive behaviour towards our operational staff in recent months. We would like to remind members of the public that our staff should be treated with respect and kindness at all times.
“Any abusive behaviour towards our frontline staff will not be tolerated under any circumstances.” The majority of responses to the statement posted online were supportive towards staff members, thanking them for their work.
Last month, more than 80 workers from LSSL had been scheduled to take industrial action across eight days in a row over pay. Unite the Union confirmed that action was halted to allow for “constructive talks” with LSSL management.
In January, staff from Liverpool Council’s refuse and street cleaning arm staged a six-day strike as workers seek a 4% pay increase and an additional £1,000 to offset the cost of living crisis. At a meeting of Liverpool Council in January, Deputy Mayor, Cllr Frazer Lake, vowed to find a resolution to the ongoing dispute.
At the same time, staff members represented by the GMB union, who make up the majority of Streetscene workers, accepted a 10% pay rise from the city council. The agreement between GMB and the city council led to a 4% raise for the highest paid staff and a 10.5% increase for the lowest paid, plus an additional day of annual leave.
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