A strike by refuse workers in the east London borough of Tower Hamlets, which resulted in huge piles of rubbish being left on the streets for almost two weeks, has come to an end after a pay deal with the council was reached.
Unite, the union representing the refuse workers, announced on Tuesday that a pay deal with Tower Hamlets council had been reached. Earlier this month, more than 200 refuse and street cleaners working for the council had rejected an offer of a flat rate increase of £1,925. The union said this would amount to a real-terms pay cut due to the rising cost of living. Strike action began on 18 September.
Announcing the new pay deal, Unite said it had secured an extra £750 for its members striking in the borough. In addition all agency workers, about 50 people, will be brought in-house by the end of the year.
Videos of streets strewn with bin bags and rubbish piled high, in some instances towering over pedestrians, were posted on social media. Alan Sugar, who grew up in the area, said on X: “I am riding [through] Bethnal Green road in … my old manor. I am shocked at the stockpile of garbage that is all over the pavements. It is not days of stuff it looks like weeks. What is going on?”
I am riding throught Bethnal Green Road in Hackney my old Manor. I am shocked at the stock pile of garbage that is all over the pavements. It is not days of stuff it looks like weeks . What is going on ???
— Lord Sugar (@Lord_Sugar) September 25, 2023
On Saturday, a private waste company was hired by the council to clear the streets “due to safety concerns” from the borough’s fire commander that the buildup of refuse was becoming a serious issue.
Unite’s general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “Council workers across east London are taking action to improve their pay and winning. The deals Unite has reached are another step forward in the battle to win better jobs, pay and conditions for local authority workers.”
Lutfur Rahman, the mayor of Tower Hamlets, said: “We found ourselves in a difficult position because the strike was over a national pay dispute. However, with no resolution in sight, we had to act to see if we could negotiate a local solution.
“We value our refuse staff and we have listened to their concerns to see how we can work constructively and collaboratively to resolve this dispute. Together, we will clear backlogged refuse and clean our streets as quickly as possible.”
Unite also announced on Tuesday it had reached an agreement with Newham council, where refuse workers were due to go on strike, before industrial action was taken. Unite said 23 local authorities have voted for strike action throughout the autumn.
