Refuse workers throw out latest pay offer

22 October 2009

Striking refuse collectors in Leeds have rejected the city council’s final pay offer aimed at ending the seven-week dispute.

Leeds City Council this week announced an offer which it hoped would appease the employees.

But GMB members rejected the offer because it would not alleviate pay cuts. Instead, they want the council to introduce equal pay which would level up women’s pay, rather than levelling down the pay of men.

Hundreds of the city’s street-cleaning and refuse workers went on strike after it was announced they were to have their pay slashed by an average of more than £4,000. The industrial action caused considerable disruption to collections across the city.

Under the new offer, refuse collectors would still face pay cuts, but only of around £230. Other staff involved in the dispute, including bin lorry drivers, have been offered pay increases. But the offer is made with the proviso of improvements in productivity, which unions say are unattainable.

Tim Roache, GMB regional secretary, said: ‘The main problem is that GMB members feel the productivity targets are unachievable in that the council expects bin lift rates of 220 properties an hour. Such performance levels are unrealistic.

‘The members rightly feel that the scheme will never deliver the money, and that they will still be facing the substantial and unaffordable pay cuts.’ But Leeds City Council leader, Richard Brett, said the council had put forward an ‘excellent package’.

‘All we’ve asked in return is that workers help us achieve the efficiency and service improvement targets we’ve set. For them it means a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work,’ he said.

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