Talks fail to stop Sandwell binmen's industrial action

Industrial action by binmen was under way in Sandwell today after talks to stave off action over a pay dispute broke down.

The council was notified of a five week programme of walkouts and work to rule after Sandwell Council rejected a second appeal put forward by unions on Monday with the outcome announced to workers today.

New plans for action include proposals for a series of four walkouts planned over the next five weeks. The first strike is on Tuesday with subsequent strikes on September 8, September 16 and September 24.

It is believed action will continue until at least the end of the month. Today binmen were working to rule.

Sandwell residents today said they were horrified at the prospect that bin bags could start to build up in the street as they did throughout July, during the last work to rule. Dinner lady Iris Griffiths, aged 48, of Robert Road, Tipton, said: "The whole thing is a right mess.

"It's inevitable they won't finish the collections on time if they are working to rule and that means rubbish will go uncollected.

"I dread to think what kind of impact it will have. I dare say it will encourage rats."

Brenda Butler, 70, of Brickhouse Road, Rowley Regis, has her bins collected on a Tuesday. She said: "I'm surprised it has come to this. I always thought they would come up with some sort of agreement.

"It is very worrying - we don't want rubbish in the streets."

However, the council has assured residents they will do everything in their power to ensure collections take place

Councillor Derek Rowley, Sandwell's neighbourhoods chief issued an official statement today in which he reassured the public that the council will collect rubbish, with an army of 100 agency staff poised to collect rubbish missed by crews.

He said: "We took another very detailed look the binmen's Single Status appeal and this further appeal has been rejected.

"Our focus now is on continuing to collect household rubbish from the homes of people in Sandwell.

"Our advice to residents is therefore to continue to put out their rubbish as usual on their normal collection day.

"We have hired temporary workers and believe we can continue to collect waste from all 125,000 or so households in Sandwell."

Despite his assurances the council has increased the opening hours at its dump for people who want to take away their own rubbish.

The household recycling centre in Shidas Lane, Oldbury, will open an open an hour earlier from 7am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 7am to 4pm Saturday to Sunday.

Unions GMB and Unite cancelled industrial action at the eleventh hour last Wednesday to reopen talks with the council.

Leaders said they were hopeful the council would relent and allow them a further appeal on single status wage bands, which will see most members lose £2,900.

An initial appeal earlier this year failed.