A “summer of stink” is on the cards in South Gloucestershire as strikes at waste contractors Suez continue. According to Unite union, the strike of around 150 staff emptying bins on behalf of South Gloucestershire Council has intensified and is "now set to last every day until September".
A warning has now been issued by South Gloucestershire Conservatives as temperatures in the weeks ahead are predicted to be sizzling hot. The strike action was due to end on July 9 but will now drag on throughout the summer. There are fears that uncollected rubbish will lead to health hazards, especially for the most vulnerable people who would have difficulty getting waste to recycling centres.
Councillor Rachael Hunt, Conservative shadow cabinet member for communities and local places, said that the new Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition in South Gloucestershire needs to act in order to limit disruption to the waste services. She said: “We have already received numerous correspondence from residents concerned about the current strikes. People are going to be extremely worried about the effects on public health if the strikes continue until September.
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“With this summer set to be even hotter than last year, elderly and infirm people are going to need all the help they can get. The last thing they need is to be surrounded by piles of uncollected rubbish creating horrible smells and causing a public health hazard.” The group warned that "the district faces a 'summer of stink'".
A spokesperson added: "With this summer set to be one of the hottest on record, the Conservatives fear that rubbish uncollected for weeks on end will create enormous public health problems, with elderly and disabled people being most seriously affected. The disruption could also hit isolated communities and people living in rural villages who are not easily able to get to the district’s recycling centres."
Yesterday, union bosses at Unite issued a statement which said that Suez bin workers will hold “indefinite all out strike action”. The workers began strike action earlier this month after rejecting an 8% pay offer from the company, which the union said brought in profits of £80,8 million in 2021. With a rate of inflation at 11.3%, the union said the pay offer was pay cut in real terms.
It said Suez bin loaders in South Gloucestershire currently earn £11.53 per hour. Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham said: “Despite Suez’s claims about generous pay offers, its workers are on very low wages even though the work they do is heavy, difficult and dirty. It is a highly profitable company making tens of millions and can afford to give its’ struggling staff a reasonable wage increase.”
On social media, South Gloucestershire Council said: “Our waste contractor SUEZ has informed us that some of its employees are intending to continue with strike action until 3 September - due to their ongoing pay dispute with their employer. We understand that this will be concerning news for residents and we are doing all we can to minimise the impact.
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“We are working with the staff Suez has available, to provide the best level of service possible under the circumstances. We will continue to prioritise black bin collections as this will dispose of unpleasant waste such as sanitary products, pet waste, medical waste and nappy sacks.
“Further advice on kerbside collections affected and what to do with your containers will be updated daily.” In today's daily update, it advised that: "We regret that in not having sufficient staff available to collect recycling this also means we are not able to collect food waste. To store food waste, please use a plastic bag or double bag the food waste and ensure it is tightly tied to seal it as this will help to minimise smells."
