South Gloucestershire residents could face months of recycling chaos as waste collectors continue to strike. Last week the union Unite announced that strike action had intensified and was "set to last every day until September".
Around 150 workers employed by the council’s waste contractor Suez are taking part in the strike action, which began last month. And now South Gloucestershire Council has introduced additional measures to deal with the impact on kerbside collections.
The authority has said black bin collections would be prioritised and residents are asked to continue to put out black bins on their scheduled day. If it is not collected, then households will need to report a missed collection.
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A spokesperson for the council said: "We are aware of residents’ concerns around recycling and food waste not currently being collected and have made special arrangements for extra deposit points at a number of locations across the district in addition to the Sort It centres in Yate, Mangotsfield and Thornbury.
"We would like to thank everyone who has been taking their recycling and food waste to the Sort It centres and we apologise for the inconvenience caused by the strike action."
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South Gloucestershire residents can take recycling and food waste to four additional locations every weekday between 8am and 2pm. These locations are:
• Stoke Gifford Park and Ride (Parkway station) - Hunts Ground Road, BS34 8XX
• Lyde Green Park and Ride - Willowherb Road, BS16 7GG
• Page Road short stay car park Staple Hill - Page Road, BS16 4NE
• SGC North Way site, Filton - BS34 7QG.
There are also plans for additional recycling only bins that will be accessible 24/7 where residents can deposit cardboard, paper, glass, cans and plastic. The council has said it is still waiting for the locations of these to be confirmed.
Strike action started after members rejected an eight per cent pay offer from global waste company Suez, which Unite called a significant real term pay cut when looking at the firm’s annual profits, which were £80.8m in 2021 after inflation. The company’s South Gloucestershire bin loaders earn £11.53 per hour.
Leader of South Gloucestershire Council Councillor Claire Young said: "The industrial dispute between Suez and Unite is continuing to cause a great deal of inconvenience and concern to our residents. Until it is resolved, the council will carry on doing all it can to help keep people informed and we urge both parties to reach a swift agreement.
"We are working with the staff that SUEZ does have available to provide the best level of service possible under the circumstances. We are focusing on black bin collections, so waste like nappies and dog waste will be collected. We're also working with SUEZ to try to bring additional food waste services on board."
It comes as Bristol residents also face disruption to bin collections this month after Bristol Waste staff announces three weeks of strike action over pay - including over Bristol Harbour Festival weekend.
