Mole Valley rubbish collectors promise further industrial action
RUBBISH collectors and truck drivers who held a one-day strike on Friday have promised further industrial action.
Staff at Biffa, which collects waste under a contract with Mole Valley District Council, are angry at what they sees as an inadequate pay increase.
A group of 20 workers waved Unite union flags outside the Biffa based in Station Road, Dorking, after the company offered a pay increase worth 2.25 per cent over two years.
Unite officer Janet Henney said: "The company has made an offer which is not acceptable to the employees here. We've been engaged in industrial action over the past few weeks with work to rule and an overtime ban, and that's culminated today in a strike action day."
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The strike, which started at 5.30am on Friday, led to some delays in rubbish and recycling collections. Another strike is planned for May 4.
Biffa director Roger Edwards said he was disappointed employees aligned with Unite had decided to strike.
He said: "Biffa employees on the Mole Valley contract have received pay increases of almost 8 per cent in the last three years. Compare that to the many public sector workers who have had their pay frozen for the past three years. We've offered to meet with Unite at conciliation service ACAS to try and resolve this dispute but, up to now, they have refused that offer."
Biffa driver and local union representative Jackie Summers urged the public to be patient during collection delays.
She said: "People are just fed up – all we're asking for is a decent wage."
Comments
by Pixham
Sunday, April 29 2012, 1:23PM
“Too right I'm fed up, I haven't had a pay rise in 4 years. In fact, I'm now earning less. Why should we "be patient" when uncollected bins clog up our streets for days? Anyone going to be patient when it gets warmer and the bins start to stink?”