Bristol bin strikes back on as workers form picket
Bin strikes in Bristol are back on after talks between waste contractor Sita and union officials collapsed.
A strike planned for Friday morning was suspended when Sita management agreed to re-open negotiations with Unite, the union representing 271 Sita workers.
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But at 1pm talks broke down and binmen, refuse drivers, loaders and street cleaners downed tools and formed a picket line at Sita's Hartcliffe Way depot.
Strikes are now expected to continue on Tuesday, meaning up to 35,000 households could be left with uncollected rubbish.
Wheelie bins and brown food waste boxes will be affected, and street rubbish will also be left out.
Binmen were protesting over an offer from Sita of a 2.75 per cent pay increase.
They say they should be given five per cent, a pay rise they were due in November when inflation was about 4.5 per cent and cost of living was much higher.
Unite officials blamed the failed talks on Sita being unwilling to compromise.
But Sita bosses said that the 2.75 per cent offer was reasonable.
Chris Cutler, general manager at Sita UK, said: "We are extremely disappointed that the talks failed to reach an agreement.
"We feel strongly that the 2.75 per cent increase is a fair offer in this current economic climate.
"SITA UK's staff in Bristol provide a vital public service and we hope that an agreement can be reached quickly to ensure the services to the residents of Bristol."
Mr Cutler also said that the 2.75 per cent offer was in line with a pay award that has been accepted by thousands of local government employees across the country.
He said: "Their compromise is still far in excess of anything else that is being demanded or accepted by others across the country."We are living in unprecedented times, and there isn't the money to pay for their demands."
Pam Jennings, Unite's regional industrial organiser, said they had dropped their request from five per cent to 4.5 per cent, then to 3.5 per cent and an inflationary rise plus one per cent for the following two years.
But Sita rejected all their offers.
Ms Jennings said: "We are extremely disappointed as we thought they were going to be meaningful negotiations.
"What Sita is asking of our members is that they take a 2.25 per cent pay drop but still retain a 16 per cent profit margin.
"At the time this deal should have been done, five per cent wasn't a pay increase, it would have been the status quo.
"This situation is only happening because Sita has dragged its heels and not given the pay increase it should have.
"These workmen have pride in the work they do. None of us want the public to suffer through this, and they needn't.
"All Sita need to do is sit in meaningful negotiations with us."
About 100 workers formed a picket line at the Hartcliffe depot at lunchtime yesterday, with more at the Sea Mills and Lewins Mead depots.
At Hartcliffe was Jim Moore, a driver team leader and binman for 21 years.
Mr Moore, 61, of St Anne's, said: "We all know the economy is bad, but this pay rise is for November, not this year.
"Sita has put us in this position so that the only way we can get a cost of living is to go on strike. They have forced our hand."
His colleague, Mark Mapstone, 44, of Lockleaze, said Sita had dragged its heels over pay rises for years.
He said:"We don't want to be in this dispute and it is not our intention to make problems for the public, but it is the only way we can get our point across."
Steve Moore, service director for environmental services at Bristol City Council, said: "We will be continuously reviewing the situation on Tuesday and over next week and doing everything we can to ensure Sita delivers the best possible service for our residents.
"We will also try to keep the people of Bristol informed."
For more information on refuse collection dates, log on to www.bristol.gov.uk, or call 0117 922 2100.
16 Comments
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by where@man, bristol
Tuesday, May 26 2009, 8:34AM
“Sita are making huge profits at the expense of the workforce. If the council has to in part subsidise bin collection and wages surly it is time to think about taking it back into the council's hands to restore pride back into the workers jobs because quite frankly it should never have been privatise.”
by Martin, ex bristol
Sunday, May 24 2009, 7:27PM
“From what I can remember, in most Bristol Districts you couldn't see the pavements for the litter most of the time. As for the bins, you couldn't empty them as people lived in them.”
by stuart, bristol
Sunday, May 24 2009, 6:54PM
“Stan you are so right in what you're saying. To ensure any Company survives this recession there has to be a tight control on the purse strings and I'm sure SITA is no different to any other Company regardless of having the Bristol contract. Personally I'd rather have my salary frozen for a year or two if it's means job security for the future”
by stan da man, Bristol
Sunday, May 24 2009, 6:12PM
“Alan, you can go on about workers right forever and a day. But there won't be any workers if companies go bust because they haven't reduced their costs in tough times.
You can talk about your brainwashing rubbish but luckily the rest of live in the real world where companies shareholders demand profits and are demanding directors to reduce costs. This will have been passed down through the company to manual workers etc.
I guess SITA could offer the workers a 3.5% payrise but I suspect they would then have to make redundicies and the service level would be cut as their would be less people working. For a City the size of Bristol, I would suggest BCC would not like to do this. The council tax bill would also go up which I'm sure would delight many.”
by Alan, Bristol
Sunday, May 24 2009, 5:30PM
“Why does it seem that so many of the comments think it's Ok for company's to try and protect themselves during hard times, but not workers? what's the matter with these people? I didn't get a pay rise, so why should they? the brainwashed and barely concealed rightwing 'claptrap' worries me. What is our society coming to?”
by stan da man, Bristol
Sunday, May 24 2009, 4:39PM
“Vanessa- do you know for certain that SITA haven't had costs cut by Bristol City Council? This 16% thing has not been defined by anyone yet either. Is it 16% of the labour costs or 16% of every cost they have - like IT etc. I very much doubt BCC are paying it all.
The point of 16% is so they make profit. They aren't doing it for the good of their health.
If you take the waste services back into the council then costs would go up if anything as efficiency would not be very good. In general, things that BCC run aren't efficient hence why they sub-contract it out.”
by sploge, bath
Sunday, May 24 2009, 8:37AM
“if they go on strke they will lose out as you never get your pay back you lost on stike and most people will only dump rubbish and then you will have to pick it up BUT MOST OF IT WILL be on the railway banks as it is in horfield as you can see it as you go past on the train what a add for bristol”
by Sam, Bristol
Sunday, May 24 2009, 6:28AM
“Helen - managers booking holidays when they should be working?? Do you not get holiday entitlement then? Do you work 365 days of the year without a day off? Something tells me not!!”
by Sam, Bristol
Sunday, May 24 2009, 6:09AM
“While the rest of us would be gateful for a pay increase (or in some cases a job) they reject an offered 2.75% cos they want more? What a joke! What makes them think their jobs are so worthy of such a pay increase when we hear every day of Companies going into administration and people losing their jobs?
Stick to your guns SITA, don't back down, there are plenty of other hard working people in Bristol willing to take their place.”
by david, bristol
Saturday, May 23 2009, 7:56PM
“i am not getting a pay rise this year but we are not on strike so they should think themselves lucky they have a job and get back to work remember we the council taxpayers pay their wages so we should not pay for no service provided”