Veolia bin collectors set to strike this month leaving rubbish piling up at 94,000 homes in Northampton

Waste collectors in Northampton have voted overwhelmingly to strike over a 2.5 percent pay offer from contractors Veolia.

Around 70 refuse collectors in the town are angry after turning down what they see as a real-terms pay cut, with inflation running at nearly nine percent and cost of the living soaring.

Industrial action could now affect 94,000 homes after 79 percent of those who voted were in favour of strike action over what the GMB union calls “penny pinching”.

Union chiefs will now meet with members to discuss possible strike dates as early as April 27.

Dave Warwick, GMB organiser, said: “Northampton now faces a massive bin strike because of the bosses’ penny pinching.

"The council has given Veolia a big funding increase to battle inflation but the company won't pass any on to workers.

“Now they must deal with the consequences: Dirty streets and huge disruption for the residents of Northampton.

“It’s not too late to stop this strike. A decent pay offer would get workers back round the table.”

GMB claims West Northamptonshire Council, which is ultimately responsible for bin collections, increased Veolia’s funding by 5.5 percent but the company are refusing to pass that on to workers.

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 waste collections in those areas are provided under different contracts and not affected by the Northampton dispute.