'Furious' Northampton bin collectors set to strike after accusing contractors of pocketing council cash

Refuse collectors in Northampton will be balloted on strike action after accusing contractors Veolia of pocketing council cash instead of offering a decent pay deal.

Union GMB says more than 70 workers in the town turned down an offer of just 2.5 percent.

Inflation is running at a 7.8 percent and set to go even higher as energy bills soar from April 1.

Workers say they are "furious" because West Northamptonshire Council, which is ultimately responsible for bin collections, is increasing the amount it gives Veolia to run the service by 5.5 percent.

A strike ballot will open in the next few days to decide on any industrial action which could affect nearly 100,000 homes.

GMB senior organiser Stuart Richards said: “The council has given Veolia a huge increase in funding to help ease their inflation worries and they've pocketed it instead of passing it on to workers.

“These GMB members do a dirty, difficult job and kept streets clean throughout the pandemic.

"Now they are facing a crushing cost of living crisis, Veolia is hanging them out to dry.

“We urge Veolia bosses to use the extra council cash to make our members a decent pay offer and avoid massive disruption and dirty streets for almost 100,000 homes.”

West Northamptonshire took over responsibility for waste services from the former Northampton Borough Council as part of the local government shake-up last year.

It also replaced the old Daventry and South Northamptonshire district councils as environmental service authorities but collections in those areas are under different contracts and not affected by the Northampton dispute.

Northampton Borough Council signed a ten-year contract with Veolia in 2018 worth around £130 million covering recycling and waste collections, street cleansing and grounds, allotments and cemeteries maintenance service.

West Northamptonshire recently earmarked more than £1.5 million in its 2022-2023 budget for inflationary pressures in relation to contracts including highways, waste collection and waste disposal.

A spokesman for Veolia said: "We are committed to engage in constructive discussions regarding the 2022/23 pay review with the GMB.

"Pay negotiations are in their early stages and we urge the GMB to follow our established processes to resolve this matter and prevent any potential disruption to collection services."

A West Northamptonshire Council spokesman said: “This is primarily a matter between Veolia and their staff, however the council is in constant discussion with them.”

Waste collectors in other parts of the country last week called off industrial action after improved offers from employers.

GMB members working for Biffa Municipal in Hastings accepted a pay increase of between 11 and 19.5 percent plus a guaranteed bonus payment of up to £600 before April 1.

And in Wiltshire, a GMB bin strike was suspended to consider an improved offer from the company. Workers wanted a seven percent pay rise and the company had previously offered two percent.